


Lacrymosa

by UninspiredPoet



Series: Lacrymosa [1]
Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Femslash, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-08-07 06:26:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 88,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16403030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UninspiredPoet/pseuds/UninspiredPoet
Summary: "You'll never know how much I loathe the fact that you're all I have."- A story starting in BFA spanning the length of the relationship between Jaina Proudmoore and Sylvanas Windrunner. The man that broke them both drew them together - and what have they become? What will they become? (Will cover multiple expansions.)





	1. Lacrymosa

  
[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)  


"You'll never know how much I loathe the fact that you're all I have." Jaina Proudmoore's voice was low as she rested the leather-clad palm of her hand against the hearth she was standing near. Her brow furrowed as the dying firelight cast a flickering glow across her features - no longer as youthful as they once were, yet no less captivating. The mage's icy eyes fell shut as she heard a whisper of movement behind her in the darkness that caused her breath to catch in her throat.

"You think not?" The Warchief's ethereal voice caused the mage's skin to crawl in ways she would never be fully comfortable with. "You built us a fire. The better to see you with, hm?" 

"You've always been a touch too cocky for my liking, Windrunner." Jaina responded, finally turning to face...nothing but shadow and darkness in the room. And...yes, there it was. That dark, grating chuckle that seemed to come from nowhere. Her chest rose slowly before she let out a long, even sigh. "Neither of us has time for games, Sylvanas." Jaina's voice was edged with no small amount of tension and as she took a step forward the sound of the tip of her staff meeting the uneven cobbled flooring was louder, perhaps, than she'd intended it to be. 

Sylvanas watched her from the corner she'd retreated to, leaning into it with her arms crossed over her chest as she allowed the shadows concealing her to melt away from her form slowly. The red glow of her eyes gave her away and the corner of her lips turned up just so. "I can always count on you to be the level-headed one, can't I? My apologies, Lady Proudmoore." The Warchief pushed herself away from the wall and the creak of long worn-in armor matched the cadence of her boots as she bridged the distance between them, far enough into the firelight that Jaina could finally see her before she stopped. 

There was an almost pensive look on the Warchief’s perpetually placid face. The last time they had met hadn't been at all pleasant - it had taken a bit of work to mend the damage Jaina had caused in her rage and even more work to explain it away. But, as it had been since the first time they'd found solace in one another, Sylvanas had taken it. Perhaps she would always be the only one that could. It was something she'd recognized and accepted long ago and more often than not it was a small enough price to pay for what Jaina offered her. And still her last unspoken transgression hung between them so thickly it was almost palpable. Teldrassil. 

Jaina hated herself for the way she softened in response to the expression on the other woman’s face - the way she held herself so still and so stiffly. Braced for Jaina to express her disappointment physically instead of just verbally. 

“Don't look at me like that.” The mage chided as she took the steps Sylvanas wouldn't in order to bring them together. It had been months since their last meeting. Months that Jaina had spent deciding whether or not she could live without the Banshee Queen after all this time. 

“How badly did I hurt you?” Her voice was scarcely above a whisper now as she leaned her staff against the wall nearby and then lifted her hand up to rest between the mail collar that covered the front of the Warchief’s throat and the large, ornate pauldron adjacent to it. The only bare skin she touched was with the metal-tipped side of her thumb and she marveled at the way the Warchief stood stock still so easily despite how vulnerable she was. The mage just barely dug the pointed glove-tip into the cold, ashen skin at the bottom of the Elven woman’s throat and her soft blue eyes met the familiar fiery glow that was burning into her. Subdued, now. Like hot coals in a cooling hearth. Something very few people ever got to see. The mage was rewarded with a flicker of unreadable emotion behind the mask the Warchief wore so well. 

“Not so badly that I could ignore your invitation. But then you knew that before you sent for me, didn’t you?” She reached for Jaina’s gauntlet then, never so much as glancing downwards as she unbuckled the straps holding it on and pulled it off of her surprisingly delicate hand, leaning ever closer all the while. 

“Sylvanas…” there was a warning in the warmth of that voice. A warning the Warchief wouldn't heed as she dropped the heavy piece of armor to the floor and guided Jaina’s hand up into the hood of her cloak - along the nape of her neck to the simultaneously brittle and silken hair hidden within her cowl. The woman didn't struggle - couldn't bring herself to. Couldn't even manage to want to pull away as her fingertips found the cool skin they would never stop missing when parted. 

“Jaina.” The cold, hollow echo was still present in Sylvanas’s voice even as gentle as it was as she shifted and pressed their bodies together - not daring to make a move toward any of the other various pieces of armor keeping them from truly touching. There was an unspoken plea in her tone when she said the other woman’s name and it only served to further melt Jaina’s resolve as she moved her hand to pull down the cowl that obscured so much of the Warchief from the eyes of so many. But not from her. 

“You needn’t wear that around me.” The delicate way in which she spoke matched the way her fingers slipped so carefully into the almost silvery strands of hair before she touched along the upper ridge of the Warchief’s long, pointed ears in a way that, any other time, she knew would’ve made Sylvanas shudder. Sometimes it was so difficult to reconcile how beautiful this woman was with what she was capable of. The kind of beauty songs were written about mixed with the kind of power that could tear worlds apart. That was tearing their world apart. But then she knew all too well she could’ve said the same of her own contrasts. She was no angel, herself. And certainly no stranger to power. 

Her lips parted as her gaze shifted from the ears she’d been absently playing with to the eyes that illuminated the small space between them. It would be so easy to have her. To reach to the back of her neck and unclasp the throat guard there, the chest plate, the leggings. So many times she’d stripped away what truly made Sylvanas Windrunner what she was both physically and emotionally. And Sylvanas held the same sway over her. 

“You toy with me, Jaina…” The expression the mage wore was almost unreadable - even for Sylvanas. A mixture of pain and anger, certainly. No small hint of need. But the hundred other fleeting thoughts and feelings there were lost to her. Even after so many years, there were parts of Jaina Proudmoore that remained a mystery to her. And she stood still, then, as difficult as it was. Her ears twitched beneath fingertips so warm they almost burned her skin as it seemed the mage was suddenly intent upon re-learning anything she might have forgotten. 

“And you act as though it wasn’t your choice to stay away from me for so long.” Sylvanas whispered as her hands finally moved to the heavy buckle keeping Jaina’s cloak clasped around her shoulders. She hadn’t expected to be stopped and yet she was - a small hand surrounding both of hers firmly, seemingly unbothered by the plate ridges of her gloves digging into tender skin. 

“Not tonight.” Jaina managed. “I’d have stayed away from you forever if I truly had a choice. But you know as well as I do that there isn’t one to be made any longer. There hasn’t been for a long time.” 

“Jaina...I…” The Warchief trailed off as her jaw clenched and she glanced up at the wall behind them, her hands obeying as they always would and instead moving to cradle either side of the mage’s neck, thumbs stroking along her delicate jawline and dwarfing it within their sinister coverings in a way that might have been cause for alarm if it weren’t just the two of them in the room. 

As though she felt bad for having rejected her in such a way Jaina pulled the taller woman’s head down and let her lips brush against her temple in a fleeting kiss. Sylvanas nearly melted into the touch but settled for sliding one arm around Jaina’s waist within her cloak as her other hand cradled the back of the woman’s head. 

“When will I see you again, then?” Her voice was slightly breathy as she turned her head in such a way that their lips nearly brushed as she spoke and she could feel the heat coming from Jaina’s, they were so close. 

“Soon enough.” Came a response so certain and so immediate it soothed her, if only for the moment. 

“And will you let me touch you then?” The Warchief hid most of the vulnerability she was feeling in that moment from Jaina but the mage knew her too well for it to be fully masked. 

“I want you to touch me right now. I want you to touch me with hands that have done unspeakable things and I want your mouth all over my skin. The same one that has given orders I still cannot fully comprehend the terrible magnitude of. And as soon as I can wrap my head around that again the answer will be yes.” Jaina murmured, pulling back reluctantly and reaching to fix the hood of the other woman’s cloak - guiding delicate ears through the slits in the wool material and settling it back as though it had never been disturbed. “But not tonight.”

And then the room filled with the momentary electrified feeling of a portal being torn open between them and the chamber behind the throne in Orgrimmar flickered into view, casting an eerie glow over both of them. The portal effectively separated them and Sylvanas knew the longer it was open the more dangerous it became. The look on her face was a muddle of anger and desperation as she looked at Jaina through the rippling, writhing surface of the spell. “I could pull you through with me, you know.” Sylvanas threatened as she paced a short distance on the other side of the portal, visibly agitated at having been so teased and so denied. 

“But you won’t.” Jaina responded with a sad smile, shaking her head at the dangerously bright flash of red eyes across the portal before the presence was gone entirely. She lifted a hand and closed the portal, feeling drained as she tried to quell the feelings roiling within her. She had wanted Sylvanas as badly this night as ever she had if not worse and had only her own pride to blame for the emptiness threatening to consume her. 

Jaina made her way over to one of the nearby shuttered windows and pushed it open, looking out as nearby waves crashed against the seawall of the long forgotten town she had chosen for their meeting in an attempt to think of anything other than how close those lips had been to hers. How much the cool reprieve of the Warchief’s skin would have soothed the burning of her own. They belonged to one another so wholly she knew she wouldn’t deny Sylvanas when they met again. That she wouldn’t deny herself, either. If she survived her journey to Kul Tiras the following day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_“Lacrymosa”_  
Evanescence

 

_Out on your own,_  
Cold and alone again.  
Can this be what you really wanted, baby? 

_Blame it on me,_  
Set your guilt free.  
Nothing can hold you back now. 

_Now that you're gone,_  
I feel like myself again.  
Grieving the things I can't repair and willing... 

_To let you blame it on me,_  
And set your guilt free.  
I don't want to hold you back now love. 

_I can't change who I am._  
Not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me.  
And in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up.  
My love wasn't enough. 

_And you can blame it on me,  
Just set your guilt free, honey.  
I don't want to hold you back now love._


	2. All Around Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaina couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t feel. Her head felt as though it was splitting in two - filled with the sound of her father’s voice.

  
[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_The Lady Jaina Proudmoore has been taken into Kul Tiran custody for treason. It seems she might soon be out of our hair._

_Treason._

The unexpected words echoed in her ears and left her momentarily stunned as she tried to process the information. She’d just been with her...why hadn’t Jaina told her...

“Repeat yourself. Now. And Elaborate.” Sylvanas’s eyes flashed from the shadows that hid any emotion that had made its way into her features in the darkened conference room. 

“Yes, of course, Dark Lady.” The gravel-filled voice of one of her most trusted operatives cut through the cold, dark space of the otherwise empty room. 

“As you know - two ships departed Stormwind very early this morning. I’ve been informed Lady Proudmoore along with an Alliance champion were on one of them. It would also seem another ship under Si: 7 control departed with them. I know with certainty that Proudmoore remains imprisoned. I’m...less certain of the fate of all the rest. Those dealings weren’t made quite as public as the apparent...familial issues. That is all I have for you at this moment in time, my Queen.” 

The Warchief remained seated, unmoving and unreadable before she finally lowered her gaze to the maps spread out in front of her. “That will be all. Come to me at once when you know more.”

She listened to the familiar sound of the spy’s salute as well as his hasty retreat from the room and barely managed to contain the rage building deep within her chest as she heard more footsteps approaching. “Can you not see that I’m -” 

“Yes, my Queen. I can see well enough.” Nathanos took a few more steps inside and sighed quietly as he came to a stop at the long end of the table between them. “I...heard. Forgive me for listening. I was merely doing my job.”

The Banshee Queen stood slowly, the tips of her gloves digging into the rough-hewn table as every muscle in her body tensed in agonizing waves. “Your job? Then tell me, Nathanos.” She responded - voice dripping with cynicism. “What, exactly, am I to do now?” She approached him, walking around the table and clenching her fists as she rolled her shoulders. “You’re supposed to be in Zuldazar securing us a fleet. _That_ is your job. Not following my spies here to play mother hen to my day-old chick.” 

The slight tremor to the breath the Ranger-Lord released wasn’t something Sylvanas could easily ignore. It wasn’t often he even took much notice of her outbursts. But then he was more aware of what dwelled within her than most. And he could feel when it was closer to the edge than usual. 

“Return to your duties.” She muttered darkly, taking a step back for his sake. 

The next visit from her informant was no better than the first. Worse, really. It left her reeling. It pulled the world from beneath her feet. 

Exiled. 

Exiled and then taken to a place even her Dreadguards would have been reluctant to scout. But then she didn’t need them to. There was no one more suited to finding Jaina than her. It wasn’t the first time but as she counted the arrows in her quiver and then hung it against her back to buckle the strap in the center of her chest she found herself hoping it would be the last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_You were at my side in the Undercity._

_We could have ended them all…_

“No. No.” Jaina pressed her hands to her ears and then tugged at her hair, shaking her head vigorously. The whispers hadn’t stopped for hours...days? Perhaps years. She no longer knew. Everyone and everything she had ever failed or disappointed. 

And in between these sanity-rending visions, the tainted Drust came after her relentlessly. She was running out of energy to fight. Running out of reasons. 

Rotting leaves slipped beneath her boots as she stumbled along, trying to get away from the false image of Varian. 

_Sylvanas, Thrall…Think what our world could have been if-_

Jaina reeled around and sent a frostbolt in the direction of a voice that sounded twisted and wrong even to her own ears but the attack missed its mark. There was nothing there. 

But there just was...she just saw...heard…

Tears of rage and terror burned in her eyes as she turned back around to move on. She had to get out. She _had_ to get out. 

Her pace quickened. The ends of her robes whipped around her legs as she ran through the disorienting fog of Thros - all of it designed to break whoever found themselves trapped here. And more specifically, now, to break her. 

A familiar face caused her to slide through the decaying ground cover to a stop and a tired, confused smile replaced the maddened look on her face. “Rhonin?” She asked, swallowing thickly against the rasp in her throat. 

The mage returned the smile for a moment before something changed in eyes that were no longer familiar to her and the expression twisted as the tell-tale ripple of dark magic spread through his body. 

What he had to say left her trembling on her knees in the filth this place was made of, bent over her own arms holding her stomach as her shoulders shook with sobs she could no longer vocalize. 

“Rhonin..I...I’m sorry.” 

But he was gone - in his place another abomination. And the sudden, distinct urgency to will herself to care enough to fight again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Damnable, filthy creatures.” Sylvanas spat as she downed another one, kicking through the wicker and bone in irritation as she pulled her arrow from the mess, a look of distaste and irritation on her face. How many so far? Fifty or more? But she was nothing if not a tracker and she’d been on Jaina’s trail solidly since entering the Blighted Lands.

Her pace was quick and easy. Even in woods as haunting and dark as this, she felt at home...perhaps even more so, now, than in the forests of her birthplace. 

Sharp ears allowed her to hear the visions Jaina was experiencing - bouncing insidiously off the trees. Echoing in the strangest ways. And oh, she knew the mage was suffering. Knew the feeling all too well. But then none of these hardships were a surprise to her. Unbeknownst to the world that so loved to turn its back on those that sacrificed for it - _she_ had been there. A bulwark against the storms that now threatened to break her beloved quarry apart beyond repair. 

Her eyes darted down in the direction of movement along the side of the path and with a strong upward motion of her bow she cleanly removed the head of one of the wicker hunters that seemed to think themselves well-hidden. “So clever.” She chided without ever taking a moment to gather herself. 

Jaina was nearer now. The tracks were fresher...and they were beginning to worry her. Instead of clean boot prints, it looked as though the mage was dragging her feet - even stumbling every so often. 

She was so close now she could almost feel her - almost hear the beating of her heart - and every time she rounded a corner she expected to find her only to be met with disappointment. And..eventually...herself. 

_Lady Windrunner, I...I wouldn’t have expected us to share the same opinion in this matter. That’s all I’m saying._

_It is the only way to avoid the crippling number of casualties we will suffer if Garrosh’s plan is allowed to unfold. And I cannot afford to have the Alliance knocking at my door._

_Agreed. But what are we to do?_

_Garrosh is watching me too closely. There isn’t a single citizen of the Undercity he does not look upon with scrutiny. You must find someone you trust. You must get word to Jaina Proudmoore. If Theramore is evacuated - there will be no battle to fight. No losses. And the Warchief will be none the wiser if we time this right. Alternatively - they have time to build a defense so formidable even Garrosh won’t be able to deny it would be folly to break our peoples against it._

Sylvanas bared her teeth at the memory - her eyes burning so brightly they cut the darkening haze of the forest like a razor’s edge. She hadn’t counted on Garrosh’s persistence. “I have no time for this!” She shouted - her own voice echoing deafeningly against the trees in a way that only hers could. And then, with a lurch that nearly threw her off balance, the vision overtook her again. 

_The Horde was...victorious in Theramore._

She watched as the echo of herself seated at her long-gone mapping table in Undercity lifted its head. The unbridled terror in her eyes was unmistakable - especially to herself. 

_How?_

_It was destroyed, my Queen. The attack...merely a front. There is nearly nothing left._

_And what of the Alliance leaders there?_

_We do not know as of yet...mostly dead, we suspect. ___

__

__The vision was broken by her own scream - the ghosts fading, breaking against the power behind it. Rage that had torn from her throat. Regret. She hadn’t been able to save Jaina from the pain of failing her people. She hadn’t acted strongly enough. Quickly enough. Not again. She would not let her down again._ _

__The ground flew beneath boots that barely touched it and she left a ruin of wicker bodies behind her as she tore along the path Jaina had unintentionally left for her._ _

__And what she found nearly broke the pieces of her heart that were left. Pieces that belonged only to the woman crumpled on the ground before an image of who could only be her father._ _

__She paced a few feet into the clearing and instead of engaging the creature hooked her bow against the quiver on her back, spreading her arms to either side of herself as she bared her teeth and the fire in her eyes spread to her face. “Enough.” The word was laced with the wicked power she possessed and silence fell over the forest when a blanket of summoned darkness impacted with the ground, spreading in tendrils ever closer to the mage and writhing around her own ankles as she walked. A blackness even the insanity that was Thros couldn’t penetrate. One belonging only to her._ _

____

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t feel. Her head felt as though it was splitting in two - filled with the sound of her father’s voice.

She couldn’t even hear her own sobs any longer. She was nothing...nothing but the pain she felt and the voices. As darkness began to envelop her she steeled herself against her fate and yet...this wasn’t death. No. It couldn’t be. She forced herself up from the ground enough to look down at where her fingertips had been digging into the soft earth moments before only to find them buried in a thick, cold blanket of shadow. 

“Sylvanas.” She gasped out as she realized the cursed visions and words had been drowned out entirely. 

“Yes, my love.” The reply seemed far away...less human than she was used to, and it caused her to turn her head weakly towards its source. 

_“Don’t fret.”_ The voice was in her head, now. Soothing the holes burned through her mind by the shades that had been haunting her so viciously. And through the darkness came, ironically enough, the brightest light her life had ever known. Like some sort of dark savior with her hands outstretched and concern etched into her sharp features. More banshee, now, than elf. Slowly but surely the blanket that had fallen over the clearing was drawn back into claw-like hands as Sylvanas created a space only for them and came to kneel at Jaina’s side. _“Get up.”_ Sylvanas’s lips still hadn’t moved as blackened ribbons shifted beneath Jaina and wrapped around her arms, pushing her upwards until she could kneel well enough on her own. 

____

__“You’re real.” Jaina breathed, reaching a hand up and resting it against Sylvanas’s chest, finding the strap of her quiver and holding onto it like it was a lifeline._ _

__When Jaina touched her Sylvanas pulled herself back into her corporeal form just in time to catch the mage firmly in her arms as she leaned into her chest for support. “Of course I am.” She breathed a sigh of relief, kissing the blond patch of hair that stuck out so vibrantly in its bed of white as she felt Jaina rest against her._ _

__The Warchief held her for a long while, nothing daring to attempt to penetrate the strange magics she’d woven around them. “Jaina…” She lifted the other woman’s chin after brushing a fingertip down her jawline, waiting for those silvery eyes to meet hers - to show enough recognition for her to speak. “Your mother and one of your champions come for you. I can hear them even now. I will not leave you unless you can promise me they will find you and not just pieces of you. And if I do not leave you - they will find you in my arms.”_ _

__“No...no, Sylvanas.” She pushed at one of the Warchief’s heavily armored shoulders. “They’ll kill you. You must leave me.”_ _

__The push did little to physically move her and she cradled Jaina’s face in her hands, leaning their foreheads together. “Then promise me there will be something left of you for them to find. And that when next we meet there will be something left for me, too.”_ _

__“I promise.” Jaina’s tone was more present now. Stronger._ _

__Sylvanas reached down to her belt pouch and pulled out a corked vial of dimly glowing liquid, bringing it to Jainas lips as she turned her head enough to kiss the corner of her mouth before speaking against it. “Drink.”_ _

__And she did. Obeying wordlessly. It restored some of her lost energy - dulled the ache in her head and returned most of the agency she normally had over her body._ _

__“Go back to their world, Jaina. You are far too beautiful for this one.”_ _

__“So are you.” Jaina responded firmly, pulling back to look at her. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way I left it last time. And the time before that.” Her voice was still raspy from crying even as she traced the lines of tears forever burned into the Warchief’s face._ _

__Sylvanas only smiled faintly and took Jaina’s hand in her own - pressing her cheek into it and then turning her head to kiss the leather that covered her palm. “Silly mage.” She whispered into it as her eyes fell shut for a moment. “I am the one person you will never owe an apology to. And as for the lost time...we can make up for it soon. In fact, if you don’t come to me or bring me to you within the next few days expect to find me in your bedchambers patiently awaiting your return.”_ _

__There was an almost playful look in her eyes when they opened again and with more care than anyone would’ve ever assumed her capable of she lowered Jaina to the ground, gathering the woman’s hood beneath her head in a way that wasn’t too obvious but would keep her face protected._ _

__Even through the barrier she created they both heard Katherine’s next gun blast in the distance and Sylvanas nearly chuckled. “A spirited bunch, aren’t you?” She looked down at Jaina and lowered the hand she’d still been holding towards the ground as she moved to stand up only to be stopped by a strong grip around her bicep. She raised an eyebrow as she was pulled down suddenly - the action made easier with how off-guard it caught her._ _

__For the next few moments, all she knew was the blessed warmth of Jaina’s lips crashing into her own and the sting of a hand tangled in her hair so strongly and so possessively it would’ve been painful for anyone else. She breathed out sharply through her nose against Jaina’s cheek and parted her lips for the mage’s beseeching tongue, all but collapsing back onto her knees over the woman and pinning her wrist above her head._ _

__Even having been the aggressor Jaina was shocked at the feelings the meeting evoked. It was like they were trying physically to force one another to be okay again. To feel the love they felt for each other. And she did. She felt it in the cool, wet tongue that allowed her own to control the kiss, meeting her own with a gentle reverence even as their teeth grazed now and then and the vice-like grip on her wrist grew tighter. She felt it in the way the tireless, hardened warrior above her could scarcely breathe._ _

__Sylvanas lifted her head reluctantly before they could get carried away and looked down at the human woman’s swollen lips, loosening the hold she had on her and instead tucking the hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear, tracing the small, delicate curve of it. “Fiend.” She breathed - chuckling as Jaina released her hair and she was finally able to get up._ _

__“Only for you. Now, go. Before my mother catches us together.” Her heart was beating so hard she knew Sylvanas could hear it. Hell, she could hear it in her own ears._ _

__“It would almost be worth it at this point.” Came Sylvanas’s dry reply as she drew the remainder of her power back into herself, walking towards a ridge in the opposite direction from where she heard the shouts of Lady Katherine getting closer._ _

__The noise drew Jaina’s attention and her eyes caught movement in the distance through the trees. “Sylvanas, I love you.” She whispered, turning to look back to where the Dark Lady had been walking only to find any trace of her gone. As she readied herself for the onslaught of voices to return now that Sylvanas’s imposing presence was gone she heard only one._ _

_“And I, you.”_ So tender and so gentle she could almost feel the words against her ear. For only her to hear. 

____

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“All Around Me”  
Flyleaf

My hands are searching for you  
My arms are outstretched towards you  
I feel you on my fingertips  
My tongue dances behind my lips for you

This fire rising through my being  
Burning I'm not used to seeing you

I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me  
Thickening the air I'm breathing  
Holding on to what I'm feeling  
Savoring this heart that's healing

My hands float up above me  
And you whisper you love me  
And I begin to fade  
Into our secret place

The music makes me sway  
The angels singing say we are alone with you  
I am alone and they are too with you

I'm alive  
I'm alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter might be a few days out but it's coming! Thank you all so much for the reviews on the last one. Hope you enjoy.


	3. Take Me To Church

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Good evening, Lord Admiral."

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/dateposted-public/)

___________________________________________  
___________________________________________

Jaina traced the grain of the wood that passed under her hand as she walked down the hallway to the private quarters that were her destination. _Her_ quarters. Within her _home_. Because that’s where she was. Home. In the keep that had always belonged to the Proudmoore family. All these thoughts were both foreign and comforting to her at the same time and she was looking forward to processing them now that she finally had a moment to breathe.

She could sense that her Fleet was nestled safely in the harbor like they were the blood coursing through her veins and for the first time in a long time she felt the stiff discomfort that had settled deep within her joints and muscles - even something so simple as opening the heavy door to her rooms and shutting it brought a sigh to her lips. Perhaps she could also afford herself a hot bath..

“Good evening, Lord Admiral.” 

Jaina nearly jumped out of her skin as she bolted the door frantically and turned her suddenly wild eyes towards the center of the room. She could’ve sworn she felt her heart skip a beat at the stunning vision she was presented with. Oh, but this was no vision. It was all too real. 

Very rarely did she have the opportunity to see Sylvanas dressed in anything but war regalia and as her eyes traced over the black velvet overcoat that hugged the curves of the Warchief, buttoned up along her slender midsection and parting at the swell of her breasts, she found herself wishing that wasn't the case. 

Sylvanas smiled warmly at Jaina’s reaction and walked over to her - the coat parting against soft, black doeskin breeches and boots that didn't make a sound as she moved. There was no cloak. Just silvered hair that hung down around her face and shoulders and contrasted starkly with the dark clothing she was wearing. She looked astonishingly young and beautiful in an almost tragic way.

“Sylvanas, you-”

“Told you that you would find me here if you made me wait much longer.” The Warchief finished for her, coming to a stop in front of her and unfastening the heavy cloak from across Jaina’s chest - relieving her of the weight of it and reaching behind her to hang it on a hook by the door. 

The Mage didn't have it in her to argue. She knew Sylvanas would've taken every precaution and if she hadn't she certainly would've known by now. She watched as her lover’s bare hands worked the buckle of her cloak and pauldron and found herself captivated even by that small action. She had the most elegant hands Jaina had ever seen. And she knew the roughness of those bow-calloused palms and fingers intimately which only served to make them that much more alluring. Knew all too well that they were still somehow as soft as down - and how they could move across her skin like a whisper. 

“I have a bath drawn for you.” The older woman continued, one hand moving to Jaina’s waist to guide her towards the armor stand near the large fireplace positioned near the door. Jaina glanced over and with a simple gesture there was a fire blazing in the hearth. 

“And will you join me in it?” She responded, already slightly breathless at the way Sylvanas had begun undressing her starting with her gloves. Every time a piece of armor was removed its absence was filled, instead, with a lingering kiss. It almost felt as though she were being worshipped. And she was. In every sense of the word.

The Warchief looked up in response to the question and the flames danced in her eyes, matching the color that was already there in a way Jaina found mesmerizing. “If you wish. Of course.” 

Jaina gave her a soft, affirmative smile and watched raptly as she continued her work. As much willpower as the Warchief possessed she still found her hands on the laces that held the front of Jaina’s tunic closed, untying them and guiding the garment down as far as it would go without being fully undone - exposing the pale skin of her chest and shoulders. “Gods, Jaina it's been so long.” She breathed, gazing at what she’d bared for herself as she traced her fingertips along the top of the curve of one of her breasts. 

“Then wait no longer.” Jaina whispered, not trusting her voice to function properly if she spoke any louder. She gathered some of the elven woman's hair in her hand and tugged downwards. 

Sylvanas merely chuckled quietly and the loving, mischievous look in her eyes reserved only for Jaina returned. “Sit down, impatient one.” She guided her backwards into the chair and knelt in front of her, leaning down and kissing her legging-clad inner thigh just above her knee. She looked up at Jaina and began unlacing her boots, feeling her way so she could keep her attention on the Mage’s face. The way the pale skin of her cheeks flushed for her was nothing short of intoxicating. 

“Do you like me here, Lord Admiral?” Her voice was low and velvety. “A Queen on her knees before you?” 

“More than you already think you know, Warchief.” The leader of the Kul Tiran fleet reached out and drew the hair on one side of Sylvanas's face behind her ear, stroking her cheek and finding the sharp, defined jawline with her fingertips before grasping her chin. This gave Sylvanas pause. There was real strength behind that grip. “Don't think I'm going to let you have all the fun tonight.” Jaina chided lightly - though there was an undeniable rasp of lust and ownership lacing her words - before releasing her. 

“I wouldn't dream of it.” She tossed the boots aside and then lifted one of Jaina’s feet to press against her own chest, staying close enough to her so the mage could bend her leg comfortably. “You shouldn't let yourself get into such a state, Jaina.” She scolded as her hands kneaded into the stiff, sore muscles of Jaina’s legs - both of them thoroughly worked over by the time she was done. She shifted closer to the chair then, parting Jaina's legs with her hips and leaning into her as her deft fingers found the laces of Jaina’s breeches, tugging them open with a faint hint of a tremor. Her fingertips just barely grazed beneath the waistband and she tilted her head, using the bridge of her nose to nudge Jaina’s jaw up enough that her lips could find the front of her throat. 

“Sylvanas…” Jaina breathed her name as she felt the way those hands had begun to shake - falling in love with the Banshee Queen all over again in that moment. Just as she had countless times before. “Take a breath, my darling.” She murmured, pulling her head down to rest against her shoulder. 

“I need you more than I need to breathe.” The words came out low and heated against the crook of the mage’s neck, her teeth grazing the skin there and causing a chill to rise along Jaina's spine and the dull, throbbing ache she felt to settle more deeply within her body.

“Then stop teasing us both and take what is already yours.” 

A low sound akin to a growl escaped the Banshee Queen and would it not have hurt her Jaina would likely have found herself through the chair and against the wall. Instead, Sylvanas pulled her close and lifted her with an ease that sent a thrill through her. Jaina would be hard pressed to forget what her lover was capable of but a reminder never hurt. 

She couldn't help but smirk as Sylvanas pressed her down into the bear fur rug in front of the fireplace only a short distance away but any teasing she was ready to dish out about the bed being just in the next room fell silent on her tongue as her leggings were pulled from her body none too gently. 

“I want your hair down.” Sylvanas husked as she knelt between Jaina’s legs and started working on the part of her corset-like top that wasn't already loosened. 

“As you wish.” Jaina breathed, pushing herself up onto one elbow and reaching up to tug her braid free - finishing around the same time Sylvanas had successfully finished disrobing her. As her long, wild hair was freed and hung down in waves around her bare chest and arms Sylvanas’s lips parted and even the unbridled lust she felt for this woman seemed less important, suddenly, than just taking in the sight she was rewarded with. 

“Why do you stare so?” She asked breathlessly, reaching up to hold onto Sylvanas’s wrist as the risen elf’s hand came to gather her hair at the nape of her neck and support her head. She stroked lightly behind Jaina’s ear with her thumb as she shook her head.

“Because in all my years nothing has ever rivaled your beauty and nothing ever will.” She lowered Jaina down by her hair and used her own knee to part her legs, settling her hips between them as her free hand slid up the mage’s thigh to draw it upwards against her own side. “Would that I could have you like this always.” She continued, releasing her leg slowly once she felt it pressing against her. Jaina knew she liked that feeling. 

“You always make the most of it when you do.” Jaina murmured soothingly before she guided Sylvanas down against her with a hand on her neck and leaned up to claim the Warchief’s lips with her own, smiling into the kiss as Sylvanas’s hair fell down around them even with half of it tucked away behind her ear the way it was. 

They explored each other's mouths languidly, basking in the love that passed between them. A love only the two of them would ever know. But Jaina could sense the restlessness in her lover’s body - the way the toned muscles of her back tensed beneath her hands as they stroked over the silken cloth of her coat - the way strong hips flexed against her own almost imperceptibly. 

She broke the kiss and pulled Sylvanas’s hair from her face to look at her, running her thumb over the Warchief's full, slightly bruised lower lip. “I can feel how badly you need me.” She covered Sylvanas’s hand with her own atop her breast, squeezing it firmly before she guided it down between her own legs and it seemed she needed no more reassurance once her cool fingertips slid through the amply wet heat they found. 

Jaina’s head fell back into Sylvanas’s hand and a gasp caught hard in her throat as two long, slender fingers found their way inside her and were met with the tight resistance of shock. Every time. She felt so good _every_ time. And by now her clandestine lover anticipated this reaction and, thankfully, didn't pause. 

“Look.” Sylvanas breathed as she lifted Jaina's head easily with the hand that wasn't busy between her legs. “See yourself how I see you.” She lifted her own hips just enough so that the mage could watch as her now glistening fingers pressed in and out of her firmly, her own eyes trained on Jaina’s face - on the way her lips were parted just so, the way the pinkness in her cheeks spread down her neck and further still - dusting her fair skin beautifully. 

Jaina was coming unraveled. Grasping onto the fur beneath her as Sylvanas held her where she was and her labored breaths turned to low, desperate moans. “I want your mouth on me.” She gasped out and without pause the Warcheif obeyed, lips and teeth travelling hungrily down the front of her body and leaving a few bruising bites in her wake. Jaina’s thighs were quivering as she pressed her cool cheek to the inside of one of them, looking up at her and tossing her hair over her shoulder which the mage quickly reached down for, gathering as much of it as she could to keep it out of Sylvanas’s eyes - as much for the other woman’s comfort as to be able to see her better. 

But she didn’t manage to keep her eyes open long once the icy, velvety feeling of Sylvanas’s tongue against her clit washed over her. The cold merely added to the eroticism of having her working so fervently between her legs - suckling firmly in time with the rhythm of her fingers. Every subtle nuance of Jaina’s body had long been burned into Sylvanas’s memory. Every gasp. Every press of her hips up into what she was providing her. And she responded to all of it - wanting nothing more in that moment than the mage’s pleasure. She didn’t have to wait long. 

Jaina cried out hoarsely when she came, tugging harshly on the hair in her fist as her head impacted with the floor beneath it. Sylvanas wrapped her free arm around Jaina’s thigh in response - holding her with a grip the mage would never escape unless she wanted her to. But as mercilessly as she could have tormented her she chose not to - instead sliding her mouth upwards to press a kiss to the darkening mark she’d left over Jaina’s hip moments earlier. 

She moved further up, then, eventually resting her cheek against the center of Jaina’s chest with her eyes shut - listening to the frantic beating of her heart as her fingers slowed and she slipped them out carefully. She laid her body down against the other woman - knowing it would help to cool her even through the clothes she still wore and, to her surprise, she found Jaina’s arms wrapped around her - a hand combing weakly through her hair. The tender gesture caused her to glance upwards and she reached up to stroke along her younger lover’s arm. 

“Come here.” The mage whispered with a faint smile - her intoxicating eyes half-lidded as Sylvanas did what she asked, smiling as well into the slow, shallow kiss Jaina rewarded her with.

“If I could still taste anything - anything at all - I would choose to be able to taste you on my lips after you’ve come.” She didn’t even break the kiss fully as she spoke and before she knew it Jaina’s hands were all over her and she was straddling the mage’s lap, having been forced upwards by an unexpected show of strength. 

Those same hands began undressing her and left trail of heat along the skin they touched and she watched, transfixed, as Jaina exposed her upper body and brushed her lips against familiar scars. It was a wonder to her how Jaina could find beauty in so much of her. It always had been. The life of a ranger was a hard one, indeed, and it didn’t often leave ones body conventionally attractive save from a distance. But Jaina had been this way since the first time she saw it. 

Jaina reveled in lulling Sylvanas into somewhat of a daze before sliding a hand into the tight leather of her pants and finding herself bowled back over onto her back in quick succession when she entered her. The Warchief let out a sharp, long hiss as three of Jaina’s fingers stretched her enough that she could feel the sting of it even with her diminished senses and she buried her face against her lover’s shoulder. 

“Shh...be still, my darling.” Jaina murmured against her hair, holding her by the back of her head as her hand never stopped working between them - seemingly unbothered by the confines of the breeches, she whispered a spell under her breath that slowly began to restore some of the function that had been lost by her lover long ago. Her movements became easier as Sylvanas’s wetness began to match the arousal she already felt. And with that came more sensation. It was overwhelming. The painful ache she felt for Jaina turned into something that could be satisfied - that was _being_ satisfied by deep, strong thrusting and a whimper passed her lips that was muffled against the soft, comforting warmth of living flesh. 

“I’ve got you.” She murmured, turning her head to kiss along what little of the nearest ear she could reach. Her breathing was heavy and her words slightly muddled. It was a heady feeling being able to do this for her. Having her come apart in her arms as what must have been a nearly unbearable amount of vulnerability was laid bare for her to see. To hear. To feel. 

“Don’t stop.” The tone was almost alien. Or at least it would have been to anyone but her. “Jaina, please…” Hands that were too strong tore the fur rug beneath them, the toes of her boots working against the wood floor they dug into as her entire body tensed and spasmed in response to feelings it wasn’t supposed to have anymore. But with Jaina she could have them. Here in her arms she was safe. Safe to fall completely apart. But torn asunder might have been a more accurate description of what happened to her when she reached her peak with Jaina inside her and her magic woven all about her. She didn’t scream. She was careful never to scream. But the series of broken sounds that came as she pressed her face closer to her lover - against her sweat-dampened neck now - were just as welcome to the mage. 

She held Sylvanas as she shook - as she failed to hold herself up on trembling arms and legs any longer and collapsed against her. Jaina supported her weight easily, freeing her hand from between them and gradually, little by little, relieving her of the full power of the spell. It had been a long time for them. 

“Look at me.” She whispered, slowly turning them onto their sides so that they were still facing one another, legs now twined together as her brow furrowed and she rested a hand along the front of Sylvanas’s throat, watching as her temporarily exhausted lover turned her head towards the rug for a moment and then finally looked at her - her eyes still slightly wild like those of a trapped beast, though it wasn’t something that scared her. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to just her lower lip and then to her high cheekbone, stroking feather-light fingers along the full length of her ear. 

Sylvanas relaxed into the tenderness of the moment, resting her head upon Jaina’s arm as she laid it down for that very reason. 

“Mighty Warchief of the Horde…” Jaina smiled as the words passed her lips and she continued smoothing hair that she’d done quite a number on already this evening.

Sylvanas let out a breath that might have been a laugh. “No.” Came a reply more gentle and sincere than even Jaina was used to hearing from her. “When I hear my name on your lips...when I feel you beneath me and within me...you are everything that I am. And all that I am is yours.”

___________________________________________  
___________________________________________

_"Take Me To Church"_  
Hozier

 

My lover's got humour  
She's the giggle at a funeral  
Knows everybody's disapproval  
I should've worshipped her sooner

If the heavens ever did speak  
She's the last true mouthpiece  
Every Sunday's getting more bleak  
A fresh poison each week

"We were born sick," you heard them say it

My church offers no absolutes  
She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom."  
The only heaven I'll be sent to  
Is when I'm alone with you

I was born sick  
But I love it  
Command me to be well  
Aaay. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Take me to church  
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies  
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife  
Offer me that deathless death  
Good God, let me give you my life

If I'm a pagan of the good times  
My lover's the sunlight  
To keep the Goddess on my side  
She demands a sacrifice

Drain the whole sea  
Get something shiny  
Something meaty for the main course  
That's a fine-looking high horse  
What you got in the stable?  
We've a lot of starving faithful

That looks tasty  
That looks plenty  
This is hungry work

Take me to church  
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies  
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife  
Offer me my deathless death  
Good God, let me give you my life

No Masters or Kings  
When the Ritual begins  
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene  
Only then I am human  
Only then I am clean  
Ooh oh. Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter in a few days. Enjoy!


	4. The Dark of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You dream of things that are no longer real, Jaina. You dream of nothing.”

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

“What if we left, Sylvanas?” Jaina murmured sleepily as she looked out the window above her bed into the harbor - both exhausted and incredibly sated.

“Mm…” The Warchief murmured as her fingers worked Jaina’s still damp, freshly washed hair back into the thick braid she kept it in. They were situated in bed, now - covered only from the waist down and even then in nothing but sheets and her back was against the leather-padded headboard. When she finished her work she pulled Jaina to lay against her chest with an arm around the front of her shoulders, her other hand coming around to tilt her chin up so she could press their lips together. “This world needs something to love...and something to hate. Besides, you would no more leave than I would.”

Jaina knew how true that was. But sometimes when they had nights together like this it was easy to forget who they were outside of the world they created for one another. And Jaina often struggled with who Sylvanas was - with who she felt she had to be. But she knew she would never again walk away from someone she loved. And the love she’d felt for Arthas paled in comparison to this. 

Sensing how deep in thought Jaina was Sylvanas simply gazed out the window with her, glancing down as she felt a comforting hand grip her knee over the sheets. A little half-smile graced her lips and she bent her head to kiss Jaina’s cheek. “I’ve seen this world change many times. Perhaps it won’t always be this way.”

“A lovely thought.” She whispered as she laid her head back and finally let her eyes slip shut. 

“Rest, now.” Sylvanas urged, looking down at her and listening to the sound of her soft, even breathing mingling with the ebb and flow of the waves against the harbor rocks outside as she drifted off rather quickly. Sylvanas, herself, was content just to feel the steady rise and fall of Jaina’s chest against her arm and to watch the way the moonlight fell over her in the now darkened room.

__________________________  
__________________________

The mood inside the Hero’s Welcome was positively festive and Jaina felt herself having the best time she’d had in a long while - always so wrapped up in her work and her duties within her apprenticeship. And since Arthas had expressed his wishes for them to part ways for her to focus on her studies she’d been rather cloistered with her books and fellow apprentices. But tonight, finally, a couple of the more fun-loving members and future members of the Kirin Tor had urged her to share a few drinks and a meal with them. She’d even managed to ignore Kael’thas. For the most part.

“Whose turn is it to order us another round?” Modera asked as she sat her empty mug down on the table. 

“Mine, I believe.” Modera lifted an eyebrow in response to the Kael'thas volunteering. He didn’t usually. And then she watched as he turned his attention to their most promising prospect. 

“What would the Lady like to drink?” He asked with a smile and a wink. 

“Ale. Obviously. I would like more ale.” Modera’s voice grated from across the table - the dryness of it causing some of the older members gathered around the table to break out into an infectious bout of laughter. 

Kael’thas lifted his hands in defeat and took his leave to find the nearest barmaid. Jaina was thankful. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle herself. It was just that she didn’t really feel like dealing with anything at all this evening - particularly a man batting his eyelashes at her. Besides - the Dalaran red she’d been drinking for a majority of the night had her just tipsy enough that she knew better than to make any decisions that required the removal of clothing in the presence of another person. 

As her thoughts wandered and the conversation at the table faded into a dull buzz her attention drifted around the large Inn. She found the feeling of being once removed from her surroundings for once rather pleasant. It was a very rare occurrence and one she certainly didn’t mind right now. She was distracted, though, by an unfamiliar sound coming from the Beer Garden out behind the Inn and she looked through the archway that led to it curiously. Laughter. But unlike that of anyone she knew. It was light and airy - like a fine silver bell ringing. Eventually, its source came into view and for a moment everything faded even further away than it already had. She had seen Silvermoon’s Rangers before - always striking in their light leather armor of silver and blue - but this was clearly no ordinary ranger. The trimmings of her gear shone brightly of gold and it was all much more ornate than that of the small handful of elven women she was gathered with. Her officers, perhaps? 

She wondered just how keen this woman’s senses must have been as she paused in her conversation to look into the tavern - her eyes meeting Jaina’s with ease even from so far away. They glowed softly as did the eyes of all her kind but even from here they looked different from what Jaina was used to seeing - lacking the familiar blue quality and instead looking almost like the waters of her homeland during a storm. More grey than anything with the faintest hint of silver. And then she smiled at her - seemingly all too used to such occurances - and that seemed to knock Jaina out of the dream-like state she was in and the young mage turned her attention suddenly and raptly to the mostly empty glass in her hand. 

Modera watched the exchange with silent mirth until it seemed the spell had been broken. “That’s Silvermoon’s Ranger-General you’re eyeing, youngling.”

Jaina looked up at her and the embarrassment she felt was clear on her face. Modera merely chuckled. “You aren’t the first to stare, child. And certainly not the last. You could always go talk to her, you know. She’s much more approachable than she looks.”

“Modera, please.” Jaina responded with a withering look as she stood from the bench she’d been planted on for what suddenly felt like hours. “I think bed would serve me much better at the moment.”

The older mage shook her head and smiled warmly before looking elsewhere - apparently bored with her teasing, now. 

As Jaina made her way to the living quarters belonging to the Kirin Tor, Kael’thas, having noticed her departure, jogged for a moment to catch up with her. “Jaina...Please. Allow me to see you safely to your rooms.” His voice was silky in a way that she didn’t exactly find pleasant and she gave him a tired, forced smile. 

“I think I know my way well enough. Thank you.” 

“I would never presume to suggest otherwise it’s just...the walk can sometimes be lonely. I thought you might appreciate some company.”

“Unfortunately your attention seems to be required elsewhere, Sunstrider.” 

They both turned at the same time and Jaina was stunned to see the same woman from before standing there. She hadn’t even heard her approach…

“Bal’a dash, Ranger-General. And where, exactly, might my attention be required?” He asked - all the feigned charm having suddenly drained from his voice. He still hadn’t gotten over the rejection he’d recently experienced from the same woman that now seemed intent upon ruining his plans for the evening. Nor the commanding tone her voice always seemed to carry. She didn’t have much patience for the spoiled Prince and it was all too obvious. 

“The Archmage Modera was asking after you. Something about an unsettled tab you agreed to pay. I’d have covered it, of course, but I prefer not to get tangled up in Mage business.” 

Kael’thas seemed both satisfied and agitated as he sighed and began to make his way back to the Hero’s Rest.

“Come, now. Lest more hounds catch your scent.” 

Jaina couldn’t help but laugh at that. To call someone like Kael’thas a hound…there was something so brazen and free about her. A freedom Jaina longed for often within her almost suffocating, thoroughly structured life. 

It seemed the woman knew her way around Dalaran quite well and, in a daze of both drunkenness and awe Jaina walked by the taller woman's side - marveling at the way she moved with such grace and authority...and yet still, somehow, so silently. 

Before long she found herself in her room seated comfortably in a soft chair by the fireplace and she watched, half-aware, as the Ranger-General produced a pouch of herbs from the bag that hung at her belt and left it on Jaina’s end table next to a mug she found sitting there and then moving to the fireplace. She pushed the kettle that was already full of water on the swinging hook nearer to the fire so that it would be warm when Jaina woke. 

“Won’t you stay?” The mage found the question leaving her before she could locate enough common sense to stop herself. 

The General looked over at her - having just turned towards the door to leave. The subdued laugh this question resulted in wasn’t at all teasing and there was as much warmth within the sound as there was on her face and the impossibly long, golden hair that spilled from her hood. “Another night, perhaps. When you are feeling more yourself.” She moved over to the young woman, then, and leaned down easily to lift her hand in her own leather-clad one to her lips. She brushed a kiss over her knuckles and then rested it back in the lap she’d found it in. “Shorel’aran, Lady Proudmoore. Until then.” 

Jaina’s head was still reeling when the woman left - the sound of her cloak brushing against the shutting door in a whisper that echoed in her ears. It seemed the Ranger-General was much better at diplomacy than her...so far removed from her own world and yet still knowing her family’s name. She realized, suddenly, that she hadn't even gotten hers before she left. 

Somehow it was that same realization that began stirring her into wakefulness.

__________________________  
__________________________

Sylvanas shifted her arms as Jaina moved against her, helping her lean forward with a hand that stroked along her back at the same time. The sun hadn't even begun to tinge the sky grey yet as Sylvanas slowly started to move from behind her.

“No.” Jaina murmured quietly, turning and pressing the Warchief back against the headboard of her bed and shifting to straddle her lap. “I’ll make you a portal before dawn. Don’t leave right now. Please.” 

“Jaina…” Sylvanas whispered her name and reached for her when she heard the slight tremor in the mage’s voice as she tried to speak.

But instead of allowing her to comfort her, Jaina grasped the wrist of the hand that had been attempting to touch her - pressing it against the wall above them as she looked down into her eyes. 

Sylvanas remained still under the scrutiny and watched as countless emotions and thoughts raced through the silvery blue orbs looking down at her. Eventually, realization dawned on her and she looked away slowly, turning her head as her eyes lowered to the bed and her brow furrowed. “You dreamt of me.” She said quietly - pulling her wrist from Jaina’s firm grip as her chest ached where her heart no longer beat. 

But Jaina didn’t allow her to pull away entirely. She grasped both sides of her face, instead, forcing her to stop hiding. “I dream of you often.” 

“You dream of things that are no longer real, Jaina. You dream of nothing.” And as she tried, again, to pull away she felt herself suddenly pinioned where she lay - unable to move so much as a fingertip. There was anger in her eyes as they found Jaina’s - the perfect counterpoint to the blue that now glowed dimly in a display of a fraction of the power she possessed. 

“Don’t say that.” Jaina breathed past the lump in her throat, stroking through her hair and over her cheeks before she leaned down to kiss them - her lips finding the black streaks beneath her eyes and then her forehead. She could feel Sylvanas resisting the spell that held her still for a while and it was a relief when she finally relaxed into it. “You are all too real.” She continued, slightly tense as she released the Banshee Queen from the hold she had on her. “And I want you just as badly now as I did then. The only difference is now I _need_ you.”

As guilt washed over her at the way Jaina had stiffened - as though worried she would retaliate somehow - Sylvanas pulled her more fully down against her body. “Then don’t keep me from you for so long.” She whispered - emotion pouring into her voice as they embraced almost desperately. 

They lost track of time in each other's arms and all too soon the darkness of the room was replaced with a dim, hazy light and voices in the harbor below broke the spell of their solitude. 

Sylvanas hurried to gather her clothes and lace herself back into them as Jaina helped her and they kissed frantically whenever there was a moment to spare. After the rushed but tender send-off the Lord Admiral found herself walking through her rooms alone, eventually returning to the mess they’d made of her bed and falling asleep amidst pillows and sheets that still smelled like Sylvanas.

__________________________  
__________________________

 

“The Dark of You”  
Breaking Benjamin

It must have been inside my head  
I’ve lost the hope that I have lived  
And now, at last, it comes to pass  
We sleep, we dream, we have no less  
Along the path we lost our way  
It’s all a game that I must play  
And now the weak that fall return to ash, defeated after all

Fade away to the wicked world we left  
And I become the dark of you  
Say a prayer for the wounded heart within as I become the dark of you

Let go, we know this kind of life  
We live, we breathe, we die  
They call me to the light, forever lost inside  
With every dream we find  
We feed, we burn, we lie  
The fall of humankind  
The everlasting light

Fade away to the wicked world we left  
And I become the dark of you  
Say a prayer for the wounded heart within as I become the dark of you

Let go, we know this kind of life  
We live, we breathe, we die  
They call me to the light, forever lost inside  
With every dream we find  
We feed, we burn, we lie  
The fall of humankind  
The everlasting light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may be delving a little more deeply into their past soon as we all patiently await 8.1. Hope this finds you all well.


	5. Broken Open - An Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the armor was gone - everything that made Sylvanas Windrunner larger than life. And yet the mage still felt like she’d touched the sun itself and somehow survived the experience.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/43824606050/in/dateposted-public/)

Sylvanas scarcely felt the rain as it pelted her mercilessly where she stood in front of the monument to her sister in the Valley of Heroes. The gathering of people at its dedication ceremony had long since dispersed. The Ranger-General, however, was as still and unwavering as the stone-hewn image of Alleria that towered before her even as the wind threatened to tear her sodden cloak from her body. Her face was so streaked with water even if there had still been people around they wouldn’t have noticed her tears.

She just needed a moment. Just a moment to breathe...to mourn. And then she could once again return home and be what her people needed her to be. Going back in this state would be the worst thing she could do.

  
\--------------------------------------  
\--------------------------------------

“Why don’t you go _get_ her, then?” Rhonin demanded - worry etched in the defined features of his face - moreso for his wife than for his sister-in-law.

“I’ve _tried_ , my love. You don’t know my sister well enough if you think she’s going to listen to me when she doesn’t want to.”

The small gathering of Kirin Tor were all silent witnesses to the hushed, almost frantic voices of their comrade and his wife. Vereesa hadn’t had the type of relationship with her older sister that Sylvanas had. The eldest two siblings had been much closer in age, and while it hurt - and gods did it hurt - what it was doing to Sylvanas was what wounded her the most. She had Rhonin. She had the love that they shared and the warmth of it to replace the void of all that she’d lost in the second war. 

Modera left the couples’ sitting room silently. She’d heard enough and she knew Jaina was waiting none-too-patiently nearby. 

“She’s still there.” Jaina stated rather than asked - her worried gaze leveled on the much older mage. In silent response, Modera produced a small, polished stone from the pouch on her hip and muttered an almost silent incantation. Jaina looked down into the scrying orb and her breath caught in her throat. The proud, vain elf she had come to know so well was trembling almost violently - so much so that she could see the water droplets dancing from the tips of her ears. And she couldn’t even fathom how she was standing upright under the weight of all the frigid water that had saturated everything she wore. 

Before Modera could even blink Jaina had thrown a cloak over her shoulders and pulled her hood up. “A dampening spell on the room, Modera. Please.” The request was more of a demand than anything - her voice even and strong in a way the older woman hadn’t heard it before. She felt a tickle of pride in the back of her throat as she granted the young mage’s request and watched as, in a flash of arcane energy, Jaina disappeared from the room. She was satisfied none of the nearby mages had felt the disturbance and more than a little impressed at the display of power. It took a strong magic-wielder indeed to achieve such a feat based on a simple scry. 

Jaina didn’t even stumble as her feet found the uneven cobbled road of the Valley only a few feet behind where the tall, familiar silhouette of Sylvanas Windrunner stood - her expression resolute and stern as she made her way forward. The pain radiating from her was almost palpable. She could barely make out the weak whisper of the Ranger-General’s voice as she got close enough. 

“I should have gone with her.” And it seemed that single statement took the last of her strength because in the next instant Jaina was nearly crumpling under the weight of the woman she’d caught in her arms. Once she managed to steady herself she repeated the spell she’d performed earlier and wound up squarely in the center of her private rooms in Dalaran. It seemed Modera had anticipated her arrival because there were clean towels on the bed that had been enchanted to stay warm. She could feel the heat of them as she guided Sylvanas to sit on the edge of it. 

Jaina went to work immediately - fumbling with the hidden straps and buckles of the unfamiliar dress armor Sylvanas wore and dropping the pieces on the floor, considerably more concerned with how pale the woman looked and how she still shook even in the warmth of the room. It scared her to see just how despondent the strong, capable leader was. How lost she looked. 

“Talk to me, Sylvanas. Look at me.” She grabbed onto the sides of her face and the dulled light in her familiar sea-grey eyes shifted slightly towards her in faint recognition. That was enough encouragement for now and Jaina eventually got her undressed and wrapped in the warm, over-sized towels Modera had left for them. She hadn't seen the other woman so fully disrobed before but despite how strikingly toned her body was it seemed too thin. Like she hadn't been eating properly. 

She'd been infatuated with the Ranger-General since they first met and had grown to care about her deeply the longer their friendship went on despite how rarely they saw one another. She just hadn't realized how much she loved her until now. Until she had her wrapped strongly in her arms and pulled back into bed with her and the first heart-breaking sobs came against her chest and the flawless, untouchable facade slipped away in her presence for the first time.

“It's alright. I promise you it's alright.” She whispered as Sylvanas turned her face to hide it against her, shifting to allow her to press closer and doing her best to pull her wet hair out of her eyes. 

“It...it isn’t alright.” The High Elf managed to respond once her sobs had subsided and she found her voice again, taking one of Jaina’s hands in hers to stop her from trying to do something about her hair. “No one can see me like this. I can’t be this weak. You don’t understand.” Even as she finally managed coherent speech her shoulders still shook. As much as she wanted to pull away - to put her armor back on and return to her duties - she just didn’t have the strength to do so emotionally. 

“I would see you however you are.” Jaina responded - tears burning her own eyes now though she wouldn’t allow them to fall. She remembered the pain she’d felt as a child when her brother was lost at sea as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. But she’d had her parents. And as she’d come to learn over the course of their companionship Sylvanas had precious little left after the second war. She longed to give her something. To be anything at all for her. “I would love you however you are. If you would only allow it.”

Even as lost in her grief as she was the longing in those words struck something deep within Sylvanas. A need she had, for so long, refused to entertain and her response came wordlessly as she claimed the young mage’s lips with her own in a way that left little room to doubt the meaning behind it. 

Jaina’s mind reeled in the moments that followed. It had never been like this with Arthas. This was all-consuming. Like a flame threatening to overtake her at any moment. The Ranger-General poured her hurt into Jaina and she took every bit of it - her touches in return gentle and comforting even as Sylvanas took from her everything she wanted in that moment. It wasn’t as slow or soft as Jaina had imagined it would be. It was rough and desperate and sometimes painful in a way that left her hungering for more but the mage wouldn’t have stopped this strong, wild woman for anything. She relished the bruising bites and rough, possessive hands and eventually her body caught up with her mind and what followed was earth-shattering for her. For both of them. And it would mark them both more deeply and more permanently than either of them knew.

For much longer than Jaina could have anticipated the room was filled with the sounds of Sylvanas laying claim to her for the first time - Jaina’s moans and whimpers and her quiet, breathless reassurances each time worry flashed across the elven woman’s striking, otherworldly features.

  
\--------------------------------------  
\--------------------------------------

_I’m not going to break, Sylvanas._  
 _What if I want you to?_  
 _Then stop holding back._

Their heated words still echoed in her ears as she looked down at the sleeping elf’s head resting in her lap atop the sheets. Jaina’s eyes trailed over the bare expanse of her body - the light sheen of sweat slowly drying over her back and the way the muscles moved under her skin as she breathed - flawless aside from the errant scar here and there. The way the woman was splayed out across her bed - the way her arm was draped over Jaina’s covered thigh - it was all so human. So real. All the armor was gone - everything that made Sylvanas Windrunner larger than life. And yet the mage still felt like she’d touched the sun itself and somehow survived the experience. 

Eventually and rather reluctantly she eased herself out of bed and the soreness she felt as she made her way over to where her robe lay near her bathroom made her smile faintly. She headed for the door that lead to the hallway outside her rooms and stopped suddenly as she saw a tray of bread and cured meats on the table in the entryway. She felt a rush of fear nearly overtake her as she reached for the small note folded beneath the edge of it and opened it with trembling fingers. Who had been in her rooms? Had they seen… A wave of relief washed over her at its contents. 

_This is just a polite suggestion from a concerned and none-too-surprised friend - but you might want to feed her at some point, child. It would be rather difficult for me to explain why Silvermoon's Ranger-General died of starvation in your bed.  
-M._

She watched as the note turned to ash in her fingertips once she’d read it and carried the tray towards the bedroom, surprised to find Sylvanas sitting up - rather unapologetically naked - in her bed. And there was that smile. The same as the first time she saw her at the tavern. “That’s distracting enough when you’re clothed.” Jaina chided softly - though she did nothing to hide the amusement in her voice. 

Sylvanas took the tray from her to set it aside as she moved to the edge of the bed and pulled Jaina between her legs, looking up at her with one hand on the back of each of her thighs over the robe. “Did you mean what you said to me earlier?” She asked - her voice clear and soft with an almost musical quality to it now that she was calm.

“More than I’ve ever meant anything in my life.” Jaina responded easily, though there was an apprehensive quality to her voice. “But...I don’t expect…I would just prefer to make sure you’re alright before you leave. At least eat something and-”

“Jaina…” She watched as the mage cut herself off and looked away from her and she stood slowly against her, tilting her head down to trail warm kisses up along the length of her jaw and sliding her hands up as she felt the smaller woman shudder in response. “I would much prefer your company for the rest of the evening.” She murmured against her ear. “I’ll return to Silvermoon after I’ve known the peace of waking with you in my arms. I hope this is something you want, as well. And that it might be something you would want again.” 

Jaina managed to stop herself from breathing a sigh of relief as she rested her hand along the side of Sylvanas’s neck and then pushed her back down onto the bed carefully. “I absolutely want this. I mean...not this, specifically...I couldn’t have even begun to fathom how…”

Sylvanas smirked as she watched a blush form on the young woman’s cheeks. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She lifted a thin slice of cured ham to the mage’s lips - rescuing her from any further talking for the time being. “I’m usually much more in control of myself. Would you draw us a bath? As much as I adore smelling like you I do not adore smelling like rain and sweat and I’m currently an unfortunate mixture of all three.” 

Jaina was grateful for the reprieve and leaned down to thank her wordlessly with a kiss that lingered longer than she’d intended it to. “You don’t always have to be so composed, you know.” She responded - her lips brushing Sylvanas’s as she spoke before she kissed her again and then trapped her bottom lip between her teeth, tugging it lightly as she pulled away and lifted her head by her chin. There was a surprising amount of heat in those soft blue eyes and for once Sylvanas couldn’t find her voice. “Because I don’t plan to be, either.”

She took her leave to the bathroom, then, and she could feel the Ranger-General’s eyes on her as she walked. Which was exactly where she expected them to be. 

Eventually, the High Elf ate some of the food that had been brought to her - mulling over everything that had come to pass over the last few days. The pain wasn’t a white hot dagger in her chest anymore. The regret had subsided into something manageable. And someone loved her… Jaina loved her.

 

“Broken Open”  
Adam Lambert

Broken pieces, break into me  
So imperfectly what you should be

I don't want you to go  
Don't wanna see you back out in the cold  
Air you're breathing out fades you to grey  
Don't run away, find me

I know the battles of chasing the shadows of who you wanna be  
It doesn't matter, go on and shatter  
I'm all you need

Broken pieces, break into me  
So imperfectly what you should be  
Lay here, it's safe here, I'll let you be broken open  
Hide here, confide here so we can be broken open

Let's enlighten the night  
We can fall away, slip out of sight  
When you drop your guard  
Melt into time, so intertwined, quiet

I know the battles of chasing the shadows of who you wanna be  
It doesn't matter, go on and shatter  
I'm all you need  
Broken pieces, break into me  
So imperfectly what you should be  
Lay here, it's safe here, I'll let you be broken open  
Hide here, confide here so we can be broken open  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Artwork original link: https://www.deviantart.com/eddy-shinjuku/art/World-of-Warcraft-Commission-Meloncholia-Jaina-722652031


	6. Bother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I would never...I would never.” Sylvanas gasped out as she shut her eyes tightly - her head pounding with a viciousness she hadn’t experienced in as long as she could remember.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

Sylvanas looked up from her work in surprise when she sensed a faint echo of familiar magic. “Why do you watch me, Jaina?” She asked into the empty room just before a portal opened and she couldn’t help the tired smile it caused.

She answered the unspoken call as she had so many times before, leaving the scouting reports she’d been working on and stepping into the mage’s rooms. Her head reeled slightly from the hand that had landed sharply across her jaw and she took an immediate, confused step away from the mage as she brought a hand up to her dully aching jaw and looked at her - the mixture of hurt and surprise on her face fading into worry as she took in her surroundings. 

The room was a mess. There were burnt papers scattered across the floor and overturned furniture and Jaina herself looked as though she’d been crying bitterly. “My love, what…” She rushed forward immediately - any worry for herself forgotten as she tried to touch her only to be shoved away strongly. “Jaina what is _wrong_?” she demanded frantically, once again attempting to get closer to her but stopping dead in her tracks as the mage’s eyes began to glow. 

Sylvanas glanced down as her hands began to match the color of her eyes, ancient arcane energies circling and weaving through her fingers. “Jaina...Jaina!” She shouted, reaching for her bow instinctively only to find she’d left it behind as she usually did. Even after everything that had passed between them she never felt a need to make sure she was armed in the mage’s presence when it was just the two of them.

“How could you?” The Lord Admiral demanded suddenly - clearly barely controlling the rage growing inside her. 

“How could I what? How could I what?!” Sylvanas’s voice had raised and there was a tinge of fear in it as well as in her eyes.

“You would come here and bed me even as you had your people dredge my brother’s body from the ocean floor? As it was hung in one of _my_ harbors like some sick trophy?!” Jaina demanded. “We were never to use what is between us against each other. After all I have accepted...all I have forgiven…” 

The Warchief glanced down at some of the papers at her feet. Battle reports from Plunder Harbor. Even in the face of the threat Jaina posed the anger on Sylvanas’s face was unmistakable. “When? When did this happen?”

Jaina sneered in response to what she could only assume was feigned ignorance. “While you were _fucking_ me, Sylvanas.” She spat out - the disgust in her voice causing the undead elf to wince and look back up at her - stunned into silence.

“Because that’s all it is, isn’t it?” The threat of magic was gone now as Jaina advanced on her and soon had her pinned against the door to her inner rooms with a purely physical strength the Warchief hadn’t anticipated. She could’ve gotten away. Could’ve physically subdued Jaina quite easily, really. But she couldn’t bring herself to move. 

“I’m the only one that can get you off. That’s what it all comes down to, right? I’m the only one that...that treats you like you are still a _person_. Clearly, that was my mistake. And it is one that I will not make again. I am merely a convenience and you have been right all these years. I dream of things that no longer exist.” 

There was pure venom in Jaina’s voice as she spoke and her words wounded something deep within her. The parts of her that still cared...that still felt. There was an unfamiliar ache in her throat as one of her hands came up to wrap around Jaina’s wrist and the woman responded by grabbing onto it and slamming it into the door next to her head. “I didn’t know.” Sylvanas whispered - her voice cracking as she attempted to use it. “I never would have given this order. No matter how much it would have benefited me. Never. Come back with me I...I’ll let you see everything. Everything that’s been reported to me. Please...Jaina, I…” 

“No more.” The mage finally whispered as she released her hold and Sylvanas watched as tears slipped down her cheeks. “I don’t want to hear anymore. And I would not look through your reports. I wouldn’t take advantage of how you feel to gain an upper hand.”

Sylvanas looked desolate as Jaina let her go, reaching up to readjust her armor from where it had been shifted to. 

“Go, Sylvanas. Please.” Jaina breathed as she opened a portal for her, feeling like she was physically being torn in two. Sylvanas watched in silence - as the portal wavered and drained what was left of Jaina’s energy in its unsteadiness. As she stepped through it she grabbed Jaina’s wrist firmly and pulled her with her. 

“No!” 

Jaina knew nothing but darkness as she hovered in this world between worlds. She realized slowly that her desire for the way things used to be coupled with her exhaustion had brought her here..wherever this was. And as she tried to muster the strength to bring herself home she heard a familiar voice in the nothingness that surrounded her. 

“Jaina...my darling...it isn’t safe here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas found herself crumpled face-down in her room in Orgrimmar - sickened by both the feeling of the unstable portal and the encounter with Jaina as she forced herself up and looked around frantically for the mage before she leaned forward against the nearby table, her blurred vision landing on a fresh stack of parchments on her desk. She reached for them and spread them out with a shaking hand. “No…Jaina...”

“Clearly she isn’t here. Sorry to disappoint. Were you looking for these, my Queen?” Nathanos’s voice was almost a purr as she looked up at him - the sudden movement of her head almost causing her legs to give out beneath her. “Nathanos...why…”

“Your...feelings...for Proudmoore are nothing but a liability. The Horde already wavers in its devotion to you. I would not have you...us...lose everything that we’ve worked for.” He moved over to her and guided her to sit in the nearest chair. She leaned back into it and shut her eyes against the spinning of the room. 

“I need her.” She argued weakly, turning her head away from him as she felt the coolness of his hand through the glove on her cheek. “And does she need you?” He asked - not expecting an answer judging by how short their visit had been. “I was here. When she was deciding whether or not she could still want you. Whether or not you were good enough for her. I’ve always been here.” He stroked over the corner of her mouth with his thumb then where her lip had split against what he could only assume was a physical attack. “She will never again understand you. Not like I do. You know this is true - why do you fight it?” 

Sylvanas pushed his hand away and slipped a dagger from her armor, grasping the front of his jacket and holding it against his throat beneath his beard. “You overstep, Nathanos.” She growled, unable to stand up but managing to hold him still against her blade. 

“No.” His response was firm followed by his hand coming between the dagger and his throat. “I simply perform my duties to my Queen. This just happens to be one I should have performed long ago.”

Before either of them knew it with a wail of rage that startled even the guards outside she exploded into a mass of shadow and Nathanos blinked up from where he landed across the room and a smirk spread across his pallid face. “You see?” He stood slowly and brushed his clothing off, hiding the relief he felt as she managed to reign the banshee in and practically collapsed back into the chair. “If you had done that to her you’d have broken every bone in her body. And yet here I stand.”

“I would never...I would never.” Sylvanas gasped out as she shut her eyes tightly - her head pounding with a viciousness she hadn’t experienced in as long as she could remember. 

Nathanos made his way back over to her and lifted her into his arms now that she seemed too delirious to resist him - carrying her to the cot situated near the back of the room to lay her down along the length of it. “No, I don’t suspect you would. But when will you realize _you_ are no longer _you_? Even when it comes to her? That is why you brought me back, is it not? Why you gave me this body? Because I have looked into the face of what you’ve become - what you’re capable of - and I have never so much as blinked an eye.” 

Sylvanas turned away from him and pulled her shoulder out of reach weakly as he reached for her. She wanted to call for the guards positioned outside. She wanted him gone. And not just for right now. But she knew she was in a precarious situation. That if the Horde saw her turn on her own champion it would be the final stitch required to unweave the hold she barely had on everything as it was. And so she stayed silent as he pulled a chair over and sat down beside her - watching over her in a way that only further confused her frantic thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who speaks to me? Show yourself!” Jaina demanded into the darkness, looking around her and turning in every direction until she wound up back where she’d begun only to be faced with the most terrifyingly beautiful thing she could remember ever having seen.

That smile. Gods, that smile. She was stunned into silence as she stared at all the things she longed for. All the things that made her heart ache in a way that would never heal. 

“You would think it would be I that wouldn’t recognize you. You’ve grown more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.” The Ranger-General’s voice faded in and out - sometimes far away, sometimes near - much like the image of her did. Flickering between different instances of her existence - sometimes wearing the simple blue and silver armor of a ranger - sometimes full General’s regalia. But the smile was always the same. Then the specter seemed to make up its mind and she looked just as she had the last time she’d seen her alive. The night she’d refused to go to Theramore with her - when she’d chosen her people over her own life for the final time. 

“Syl-” She found her voice halted in her throat and as a sob escaped the image reached for her -clearly wanting to comfort her - and the smile faded from her ageless face when no real contact was made. She looked confused, suddenly. Lost. 

“It’s okay.” Jaina managed to whisper, trying to stop her tears from falling. Anything to make that look go away. 

“How...why are you here? What are you?” Jaina demanded - but there was a softness in her voice. A longing.

“I’m afraid I don’t have many answers for you - even after having had all this time to consider the possibilities. I am merely what is left, I suspect.”

“What is left of her?” Jaina asked weakly. “Of...of what?” 

“After he took what he wanted.” Came her short, simple response. And there was sadness in those grey eyes - the same stunning grey they’d been before. “What was useful to him.” 

The image...the broken fragment of her lover turned her head suddenly - seeming to hear something she couldn’t. “You should go.” She said in a hushed tone before turning to look at her again. 

“Then...what is that...who are you, now? And how could...how could the person that you are now possibly still…” She stammered, ignoring the warning given to her. 

“Jaina. Nothing - no span of time and no loss could ever stop my loving you.” The voice that cut her off was stern now and her appearance seemed even stronger - more solid and again it attempted to reach for her, this time cradling her cheek, if only barely. The mage could, for just an instant, smell the forests and fields of Quel’thalas on her. “Go.”

And with that word the Ranger-General was gone and her eyes slipped shut as her grasp on her own consciousness faded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Stupid girl. I swear you will be the death of me, yet.” She felt hands on her - blankets - could hear the faint crackling of a fire nearby.

“Modera…” Her voice rasped from her throat and she opened her eyes for a moment - seeing her room and the aging mage currently fussing over her in a rather agitated way. 

“Hush, now.” She responded firmly, pulling her into a tight hug and then pressing a mug of rather foul-smelling liquid into her hand. “Drink this. You would think a mage of your skill would know better than to go messing with portals when you haven’t had any damned sleep.”

Jaina obeyed and ignored the taste for the most part but already she could feel the urge to cry rising in the back of her throat. “Where was I? How did you know?” 

“I heard about your brother. I came as quickly as I could and your mother told me you were in your rooms. I heard the portal collapse before I managed to get in - you’ve gotten damned good at lock enchantments, by the way - and I simply located you through spellwork. But I do prefer not to venture into the Void very often so if you could kindly steer clear of it from now on that would be wonderful.”

Jaina lifted a hand to her mouth and turned her head away. The Void...she was in the Void. 

Modera was clearly shocked at how stricken she looked and felt guilty, suddenly, for chastising her. “Jaina...I only worry about you. I didn’t mean-”

She shook her head in pained disbelief. “I saw her there.” Her voice trembled as unshed tears burned her eyes and threatened to spill. She’d thought she didn’t have any left. 

The weight of the words hit Modera heavily and she was silent for a long time, eventually sitting down on the floor where Jaina was propped in a pile of cushions to draw her into a firm, inescapable hug. “I’m so sorry.” She cooed softly as Jaina turned into her and held onto her fiercely. Jaina didn’t need to tell her who. She could hear it in every bitter, muffled sob. 

“She was here with you, then...when you made the portal.” Modera finally said - her voice so low it was barely audible. 

“I’ve made a terrible mistake.” Came Jaina’s only reply. 

“Oh, Jaina...love...the two of you have quarreled many times before...” 

“You didn’t see the look on her face. You didn’t see how utterly I destroyed her.”

“Bother”  
Stone Sour

 

Wish I was too dead to cry  
My self-affliction fades  
Stones to throw at my creator  
Masochists to which I cater  
You don't need to bother;  
I don't need to be  
I'll keep slipping farther  
But once I hold on,  
I won't let go 'til it bleeds

Wish I was too dead to care  
If indeed I cared at all  
Never had a voice to protest  
So you fed me shit to digest  
I wish I had a reason;  
my flaws are open season  
For this, I gave up trying  
One good turn deserves my dying

You don't need to bother;  
I don't need to be  
I'll keep slipping farther  
But once I hold on,  
I won't let go 'til it bleeds

Wish I'd died instead of lived  
A zombie hides my face  
Shell forgotten  
with its memories  
Diaries left  
with cryptic entries

And you don't need to bother;  
I don't need to be  
I'll keep slipping farther  
But once I hold on,  
I won't let go 'til it bleeds

You don't need to bother;  
I don't need to be  
I'll keep slipping farther  
But once I hold on:  
I'll never live down my deceit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter later this week. Thanks for hanging in there thus far.


	7. NFWMB

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

For days, now, Sylvanas had been trapped in a relentless loop of self-hatred - holed up behind the war room of Orgrimmar. And he was there at every turn. Nathanos. Every night, now, he would personally deliver the field reports and sit with her and chip away at her fragile psyche. Sometimes with just a snide remark - sometimes feigning actual concern. Jaina had always been her lantern in the darkness of her mind. Had always tethered her - however weakly at times - to her old self. To sanity.

Even when they fought she knew her lover still watched over her. She’d long ago learned how to sense her scrying. But not this time. Now the light that belonged only to Jaina Proudmoore was gone entirely. 

“My Queen...are you feeling any better?” 

Sylvanas looked up from her desk, her expression dull and detached behind the burning red of her eyes. “Leave me be. I’m working.” She responded - her tone dry and void of emotion. 

The former Ranger-Lord looked down at the papers she’d been gazing at and slowly turned them around so they were facing the right way. “It is much easier to read right-way-up, My Lady.” 

She couldn’t stand the coldness of his tone. The arrogance. She looked up at him as he rounded the desk to stand behind her and felt herself stiffen in response. 

“Perhaps something to take the edge off..” He reached for the straps of her shoulder armor - pausing for a moment to watch her for any sudden movement before he began to unbuckle them. She barely noticed cold lips on her shoulder or the hand creeping around the front of her throat. It wasn’t until she felt him attempting to guide her hood away from her head that realization hit her and she stood, turning on him fiercely. But the way he grinned at her stopped her from acting on her anger. 

“Help! The Warchief...she’s gone mad.” His voice was quiet enough that no one else would hear but the words he spoke were heard loud and clear. 

“My body is not yours to touch, Blightcaller.” Her voice was low and there was little she could do to mask the dangerous edge it held. “You've already taken her from me. What more could you possibly want?”

“Whose is it then? That human wench of yours?” His anger at being denied caused his judgement to slip and his words to escape him before he could think and in a flash of movement faster than anything he'd ever seen from her he found an arrow-tip beneath his chin. He watched tensely as the sound of wood creaking under the immense draw weight of the Warchief's bow seemed deafening to his ears. “This line you have drawn...you had best tread it more carefully.” She hissed, her eyes burning furiously into his own. “Lest you find an arrow through your spine and are no longer able to concern yourself with how I deal with the consequences.” 

“Of course, my Queen. Forgive me.” He raised his chin slightly before taking a step back as she slowly allowed her arms to relax, removing the imminent threat of death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Nothing I've tried has gotten me through. I've never seen wards this strong over a single person...even taking into account her position. Modera...she's not going to let me back in.”

Jaina slumped at the table she’d been working at - the black shadow roiling within the crystal she’d secured as a focus slowly fading until it was clear once again. 

Modera had watched and even aided in the failed attempt at times and she was lost in silent thought for a while before finally seeming to come to a conclusion. “Did you sense Forsaken magic?” She asked, her brows furrowed as she looked at the currently inactive crystal. “I haven't worked at this as much as you...but I can't say that I did.” 

Jaina looked as though she were working through the implications of this question for quite some time before her troubled gaze finally lifted. “No. That's not what it is, I...I would know it anywhere.” After so many years of such close contact with perhaps the most powerful being of the race she knew that to be true with absolute certainty. 

“Certainly she would only trust her own people with something of this nature if it were her doing the asking. So who is hiding her?” Modera stood, suddenly, and rushed over to one of the many shelves in the small scrying room used by the Kirin Tor elite. A room meant to deaden any outside influence and focus the power of a menace immeasurably. She returned a moment later with a spell book in her hands and began thumbing through the pages.

Jaina watched her as the worry she felt only grew more apparent in her face. “If we cannot see her…”

The younger mage looked down at the spell Modera was referencing and recognized it immediately. “Then we will see who has blinded me.” 

The fury that burned through her veins was something she hadn’t experienced since Theramore as she watched in silent rage as Nathanos slowly came into focus within the crystal. Her heart hammered painfully within her chest as his hands moved in a way that would signify he was attempting to disrobe someone - someone she could neither see nor hear. She could merely sense a vague, muddled feeling of distress coming from the shape. Before she knew it she was casting a spell of teleportation and Modera reached for her, interrupting the cast as well as the locating spell and holding onto her as she struggled for a moment, lost as she was in emotion. 

“No, Jaina. You cannot possibly hope to plop into the middle of such a thing and come out unscathed without alerting the entire city.” 

Jaina clenched her jaw and pulled herself from the hold, unspent energy crackling from her fingertips. “Her guards wouldn’t...they wouldn’t allow this - they are loyal to a fault, this much I know. They practically worship her.”

“After seeing what you’ve seen do you truly believe Nathanos would allow the guards who are with her to be the ones you speak of?”

Of course Modera was right. And she tried her best not to be angry with her for it.  
“I need to return to Kul Tiras. To my people. I have to figure out a way to fix this. If I need you…”

“I will come the instant that you do. You know I will.” Modera moved to her and handed her her staff with a warm, sympathetic smile. “I’ll do some thinking of my own. You aren’t alone in this. Even if it is just me...you never have been.”

Jaina gripped her staff tightly and nodded. “I know.” She whispered before breathing a heavy sigh. “Thank you. For everything.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To say he had begun to wear on her was an understatement. She had never felt so alone - so bereft in all of her life. Even in the precious moments she lay dying before Arthas stole her peace from her she knew Jaina was out there loving her. And it grew harder to deny him every day. She longed for comfort - for an end to the ache that had now consumed everything she was.

Even so, as she heard someone approaching through the large war room she was situated behind she felt herself tense before she looked up only to see one of her agents. He seemed...agitated. In a way that was uncommon for her people. 

“I haven’t been able to report as of late, My Queen. Blightcaller had me attending to other duties.”

“Enter, Warren. Please.” She responded much to his relief as well as her own. 

He was old. Rotting. Barely still fit for the duty he had always been so uniquely suited to. He had been one of the first she’d freed from the Lich King’s grasp. She had grown fond of him over the years.

He came closer to her than he normally would have and she turned in her chair to face him as he walked around her desk in a bold display only to kneel in front of her. “My Queen...the guards outside…” His crackling, grating voice was as close to a whisper as he could manage. “I don’t recognize them. They are not Royal Guards, though they wear the uniform. I asked Nathanos about this weeks ago. That was when he informed me he would start reporting to you personally. I offered to send more if they needed to be replenished...more of my men. He said they were needed in the field, as was I.” He seemed worried - worried that she would be angry with him for prying - and as brave as he was, as much as he loved her, he found himself unable to continue. Sylvanas rested a gloved hand on his shoulder carefully. 

“It is just us, Warren. That much I know. Please - continue. You have nothing to fear. How is it that you came to be here this evening if your orders stated otherwise?”

“My Lady...forgive me for disobeying. It is only...my concern for you began to outweigh my responsibility to my duties and as you know I’m quite good at...sneaking.” 

The Warchief nodded softly and managed a faint smile. “Yes. I’m aware.” She responded before leaning back in her chair again and resting a hand on the table in front of her, slowly looking towards the heavy leather curtain that separated the rooms. 

“We can dispose of him, you know.” Warren’s voice had suddenly turned dark, though the same earnestness from before was still there. “Far from here. I could set into motion occurences that would never be linked to you.” 

Sylvanas blinked softly and turned her attention back to him - leaning close to him again. “I would ask something of you that is, perhaps, more dangerous than ridding me of Blightcaller.”

The Forsaken spy’s attempt at a smile actually amused her. “Nothing you could ask of me is too dangerous, Dark Lady.” 

She looked at him measuringly for a moment before reaching into her belt pouch and producing a sealed parchment. The wax was gold instead of red and carried what he knew to be the seal of Silvermoon instead of either the Forsaken or Horde crests. He tucked it away in his armor carefully without giving it another glance. It wasn’t for his eyes. It wasn’t for him to understand. He looked at her expectantly - ready for his instructions. 

“This letter is to fall into the hands of no one save Lord Admiral Jaina Proudmoore. If you can find her alone - she will not harm you. She would never kill a messenger. This I can promise you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To say Jaina's look was brooding as she walked through the gardens of Proudmoore Keep would have been an understatement. Her heart was heavy beyond belief as she thought of Sylvanas - both the woman she was now and the image of her she'd met in the void. There wasn't a way to reconcile the two and she knew she had no choice but to accept that fact. She also knew she wasn't willing to live in a world where the Warchief wasn't a part of her life - that she would set aside her ideals for her and be the peace the fallen High Elf had always deserved but would never find. Even in death. But try as she might she couldn't find a way to get to her.

“Lady Jaina Proudmoore. I come bearing a message.”

The voice from behind was unmistakably Forsaken. And for him to have been able to make it this far without being found - to be mere feet behind her without her sensing him - he had to be part of the elite guard. Which only meant one thing.

“Did she send you?” She asked without turning around - keeping her voice even despite how badly she wanted to demand information from him. 

She turned her head only slightly as he made his way towards her - knowing there were no guards nearby. He had checked that thoroughly enough - and handed her the scroll he had been entrusted with. 

Jaina looked him over carefully for a moment before her eyes fell on the seal she'd already traced with her thumb and it was difficult to hide how deeply the long-unused seal affected her. “Are you meant to wait for my response?” She asked in a whisper - not out of a desire to be quiet but rather an inability to speak in her full voice. 

“The Dark Lady did not ask it of me - but...yes, I would wait.” 

His grasp of her language was impressive considering how many of his kind had forgotten it but unsurprising. Spies tended to be talented in multiple areas. He watched - gathering more than she could know just from the way her hands trembled as she broke the seal and unrolled the scroll. But all he did was stand silently. Instead of feeling betrayal or anger at what he could gather from the situation, he felt hope. Hope that this human woman - as agitatingly alive as she was - could help his Queen. 

Jaina's eyes fell on Thalassian handwriting so graceful and flawless it could only belong to one person. 

_”How am I supposed to learn if you insist upon distracting me so?” But even as she scolded her lover she settled back in her arms with the language book in her hands as she felt a smile pressed against her cheek._

_“I can't help it, dalah’surfal.”_

_“Dalah’surfal.” Jaina repeated. “My love.”_

_“Very good.” Sylvanas praised - resting her chin on Jaina’s shoulder and looking over the texts she was studying, tracing the words for her as she explained them - the golden forests of Quel’thalas ever watchful through the pane-less windows of Sylvanas’s room atop Windrunner Spire. And so she came to learn the ancient Elven language in the Ranger-General’s bed - almost always nestled in her lover’s arms with her patient, gentle voice in her ear._

Jaina had to blink away tears at the memory, running her thumb over the familiar phrase that started the message. 

_**My Love** _

_**I pray this finds you well. I no longer have any other means of contacting you and I know you no longer watch me. I’ve almost always been able to feel when you do. It is my deepest regret that I couldn’t find the words it would have taken for you to believe me - second only to how terribly what has transpired has hurt you.** _

_**I no longer know how this chapter of my life will end. I only know that I am no longer the only one writing it. I have been deceived. Even now you are used as a pawn against me. I see no way out of this place I have found myself in. No way in which you and I will see each other again, at least. I do not wish for your pity. I only wish that you know beyond the faintest shadow of doubt that you were always the only good that was left in me. Only that you know I have never stopped loving you. That I never will. People think me unredeemable. A mere husk of what I once was - unfeeling, uncaring.** _

_**Perhaps they are right. But even as this darkness threatens to consume all that I am I know I found redemption in your arms and in your love. And for that, I am eternally grateful.** _

_**Forever Yours,  
Sylvanas Windrunner** _

Jaina lifted her head from the letter slowly to find the Forsaken rogue seemed to be waiting for her with a shocking amount of patience. “What is your name?” She asked him - speaking well enough aside from a slight rasp in her throat.

“...Warren.” He answered after weighing his options for a moment first.  
Jaina stood and the letter was gone in a blaze of flame - falling to the ground at her feet in ashes. “Tell your Queen I am coming, Warren.” Her voice was deeper now as she grasped her staff tightly and gritted her teeth, finding strong resistance to her attempt at opening a portal even a safe distance outside the walls of Orgrimmar. 

Warren would have raised a brow if he could as her eyes seemed to mimic the magic she was wielding - burning with white-hot fury as she finally managed to succeed almost violently, the force of her pushing back the wards blowing some of her hair from the hood of her cloak. She looked like something otherworldly as she stood there and he couldn’t help but be impressed. A little. “Go. Now. Tell her that nothing and no one will stand in my way. God help whoever does.”

  


”NFWMB”  
Hozier

When I first saw you  
The end was soon  
To Bethlehem  
It slouched and then  
Must've caught a good look at you  
Give your heart and soul to charity  
'Cause the rest of you, the best of you  
Honey, belongs to me

Ain't it a gentle sound, the rolling in the graves?  
Ain't it like thunder under earth, the sound it makes?  
Ain't it exciting you, the rumble where you lay?

Ain't you my baby?  
Ain't you my baby?

Nothing fucks with my baby  
Nothing can get a look in on my baby  
Nothing fucks with my baby  
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing

If I was born as a black thorn tree  
I'd wanna be felled by you, held by you  
Fuel the pyre of your enemies  
Ain't it warming you, the world goin' up in flames?  
Ain't it the life where you you're lighting off the blaze?  
Ain't it a waste it watch the throwing of the shade?

Ain't you my baby?  
Ain't you my baby?

Nothing fucks with my baby  
Nothing can get a look in on my baby  
Nothing fucks with my baby  
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing


	8. Safe And Sound

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

“Tell me where she sent you.” Nathanos demanded of the agent as he held him by his neck - hidden from view between one of the outer walls and the hills that rose beside it. 

“She was out of milk.” Warren responded dryly - sighing heavily. “Is there some other way you would like to go about this, Ranger-Lord? You’re going to waste a lot of time trying to choke me to death. There are two major flaws in your plan. The first being I can’t choke - the second being I’m already d-”

His speech was cut off as he glanced down - watching the arm Nathanos had just torn from his body fall to the ground in a heap. He looked back up at him in agitation. “I was saving that, you realize…” 

Nathanos released what could only be described as a roar and dropped the undead man to the ground, pinning his head beneath his heavy, booted foot and looking down at him. “Well. This is a bit more concerning.” 

“Enough with your incessant _jokes_. The Dark Lady is busy. I can do this all night. Tell me what I want to know and you will be on your way. I’ll even let you take your arm with you.” 

“The Dark Lady…” he groaned as the pressure on his head increased and dug the fingers of his remaining hand into the dirt he was pressed into. “Will have her secrets kept. And you will never have the power to turn us against her.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas tried to focus her vision as she shook violently and stumbled to her feet. Her armor was covered in the dust of the floor and the two undead priests that had assaulted her dressed in Royal Guard attire lay dead before her - the remnants of their corpses still alight from the blaze of her arrows. Every vein in her body was on fire as the darkness that now made up her physical being fought against the Light that had been forced into it. 

She hadn’t been prepared for the attack nor did she know how many Forsaken Nathanos had raised of his own accord that were loyal only to him. All she knew was he had forced her hand and she had run out of options. Memories of the void assaulted her already addled mind. The whispers...Arthas’s voice. Would that be her fate when the Horde decided they couldn’t afford the liability of a Warchief that would end the life of her own chosen Champion?

Another wave of pain hit her and she doubled over her desk as her bow clattered to the ground, gritting her teeth to bite back against the scream that threatened to escape her. She wanted to rip off her own skin. To physically tear the Light out of herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathanos lifted his boot from Warren’s head lest he destroy him in his frustration before he found out what had happened in his absence and the undead spy stood, working his already partially unhinged jaw and rolling his neck. “Just as you have begun something you can no longer undo...so, too, have I, Blightcaller.” He husked out bitterly. He couldn’t fathom betraying the Banshee Queen in such a way. “I would give my life for her. As we all would. So you may as well go ahead and take it now. You’ll get nothing from me.” 

“So be it.” Nahanos’s voice rumbled from his throat and he drew his bow - releasing a shot that should have ended the agent’s life before the impassive look he always seemed to wear faded, for a moment, into one of bewilderment as the arrow impacted, instead, deep within the chest of Jaina Proudmoore. His confidence was even more thoroughly shaken when all she did in response was smirk at him and glance behind herself at Warren - who was thoroughly surprised to be alive. “Go to your Queen. I have business to attend to.” 

“Well, well…” Nathanos muttered, nocking another arrow to his bowstring and rolling his shoulders. “If it isn’t the Human Bitch of the Banshee Queen.” He aimed another arrow and let it fly, glancing around a bit nervously as it merely shattered against the hill Jaina had been standing in front of. 

“I had always assumed that was you, actually. Until recently.” 

Nathanos reeled to his right where he’d heard the voice coming from and was met with the same infuriating smirk and surprisingly arrow-less body. His attention turned upwards as the mage began casting a shield-wall and instead of finding her gone he found himself trapped inside it with her. 

“You assumed wrong.” He spat out, his feet shifting where he stood as he saved his arrow in anticipation of an attack. 

“Did I, now?” She responded with a slight tilt of her head. 

He turned his head slightly as the voice seemed to come from all around him instead of just in front of him and found that behind each shoulder was another copy of her - all wearing the same expression. An expression that began to morph into something more intimidating. 

“I could kill you where you stand. As she could have any time she chose. You realize that, do you not? But she has her reasons.” 

He hadn’t noticed the cold creeping along his bow - along the string that rested tightly against his gloved fingers - until the wood began to crack as it froze and he dropped it quickly when the soft crackling of the ice began to travel into his hands, reaching for the hatchet at his side. “I, unfortunately, have no such reserves.”

“You think yourself a match for me, mage? With your _parlor tricks_?!” He spat - visibly seething, now. He turned quickly and buried the ax he held in the chest of the image to his right. 

“Guess again.” 

And he did. Until he found himself face to face with someone who had an air of more than just tricks about her and the handle of his ax was met strongly with that of Jaina’s staff on his downswing. 

“You look just like your cousin, Blightcaller.” Jaina remarked as she placed a hand on his chest and a circle of runes began to glow over his tunic - his ax frozen in place where it had met her staff. “It’s uncanny.” 

Before his retort could leave his lips he found himself immobilized on the ground - a crushing weight that he couldn’t see holding his body in place in a way that was excruciating. “I...I was...I was there when you were not.” He spat out - finding it difficult to speak. “She...she needed...me...and I was there…and you!”

Jaina silenced him with a wave of her hand and there was a darkness in her eyes that had never been there before as she knelt beside where he lay and reached down, gathering the hair at the back of his head to force him to look at her. 

And in that gaze, he found things he had never wanted to see. Sylvanas’s fingers digging into someone’s back, leaving red trails in their wake. Pale, living skin glistening with sweat beneath ashen fingertips. One of those same bow-calloused hands tangled in a white shock of hair. And then he was assaulted with the sounds. Moans of ecstasy on what he knew to be his Warchief’s lips. And Jaina’s name in a soft, keening tone. Over and over again. Until it nearly drove him mad.

“And I what?” She asked as she released him from the vision to find he had attempted to cover his ears with his hands. 

“Oh...have you never heard that sound before?” She asked in feigned sympathy - standing and knocking his hands away from his head with the end of her staff. “Do you know why that is, Nathanos?” 

He panted breathlessly as he looked up at her, helplessly pinned the way he was, and shook his head not in answer to her question but in a silent plea for the torment to stop. 

“Because she is _mine_.” And with that word he saw flames dancing in her eyes and quickly found himself surrounded by them, though they just barely licked his clothing. The heat was unbearable as it scorched his skin and he tried and failed to pull himself away from it. 

“I would mount your head upon the walls of my harbor.” Her voice thundered in his ears - echoing and consuming him. “I would throw the burnt husk of your body into _my_ seas.”

The flames died down slowly and he hissed in pain as the leather of his clothing steamed against the cool air it was once again exposed to and he found Jaina close to him once again - so close he could have wrapped a hand around her throat if he were able. “After I made sure you knew what it was like for me to have her in person. Until I was sure your only memory in the void would be my name on her lips. Until I was certain her screams would echo through your eternity.” 

The cold whisper in his ear made him turn his head away - his face pressing into the red dirt of the ground to hide his pained expression. 

“Nothing can keep you safe from me. You will have your mages do away with the wards against my magic and you will do so now. And you will not keep me from her, do you understand?” 

He simply gave her his best attempt at a nod in response as he forced himself up - only managing to make it to his knees before he found the pointed tip of the powerful focusing crystal on the mage’s staff against his chest. “And if you touch her again you will know suffering you weren’t even aware could exist. Now go do as I say.” 

She pushed him back and he barely caught himself, somehow managing to make it to his feet and towards the side gate they were nearest to as she lowered the barrier that she’d cast around them. 

“Lady Proudmoore!” She heard a voice hiss sharply from nearby and moved towards it when she recognized it - alarmed by the urgency of it. As she walked closer she sensed Warren’s cloaking spell covering her as well as him and she came to kneel at the battered Forsaken’s side. He looked even more worse for wear now than he had when Nathanos finished with him. “The guards...plants. Nathanos has been raising on his own. Dead. They’re dead...had to drag them in to the Lady so no one would see and she...priests. Priests with her. Forsaken. But not like us. Not like Her Forsaken. His, too. Dead. Arrows in them. The Lady, she...the Light...she can’t…” He trailed off - seemingly too addled, for once, to make his thoughts clear enough to be understood.

How he’d managed this with one arm Jaina had no idea but when he mentioned the Light she felt her hackles raise and she lifted her head and shut her eyes, feeling discreetly for the spells that had been hampering her efforts so effectively only to find them already gone. “Good boy.” She whispered before grabbing Warren by the back of his tunic. 

He groaned as he leaned against the wall of the inner room she’d teleported them into, unused to the feeling, but pulled his dagger from his belt and stood near the door as Jaina looked around the room. “Damn..mages and your damn…” He trailed off as he heard a pained groan from the other side of the room. 

It hadn’t been a coup, no. Nathanos needed her visibly in charge. But it had been meant to hurt her. And as that sound found her ears she rushed towards it, shoving the desk aside without even touching it and falling to her knees at the Warchief’s side. Her hands hovered over her lover’s body for a moment - her eyes frantic with worry at the way she trembled. Like she was cold. Instinctively she found herself on the ground pulling her along with her heavy armor into her arms and she watched as Sylvanas’s eyes fluttered open for a moment. “Jaina…” 

“Yes. Yes, my darling. I’m here.” Jaina reassured quietly, pulling her head against her and rocking her faintly as much to soothe herself as the woman in her arms. 

“Her necromancers, Warren. Get them. Now!” 

He was gone before she’d even finished speaking and she knew when they arrived because it felt like the air had been let out of the room - replaced, instead, by their cold, looming presence. Their eyes were unseeing - unconcerned with anything around them save the one they were bound to. 

They seemed to speak to each other but not in a way Jaina understood. Their whispers were dark and foreign and there were no mouths for them to come from. 

“Releassse herrr….” 

Jaina nearly jumped in response to the order, looking up at them and slowly laying Sylvanas back where she’d found her though she couldn’t bring herself to move further away. 

As soon as her hands were off her the whispering grew louder and the dim light of the room seemed to escape from around them. She was stunned into silence as she watched them work - drawing the Light from their charge like a poison. She could even see it as it was pulled through the veins beneath the thin, delicate skin of her ears and the look of suffering on her lover’s face as her awareness began to return was almost more than she could bear. Soon enough they had done what the came to do and were gone as quickly as they had come. 

Sylvanas reached for her bow as the ceiling faded in and out of view but she felt a hand stopping her and in the next moment found herself lifted from the ground. She would have struggled if she didn’t smell the sea around her - blanketing her in a way that allowed her to shut her eyes again and find relief. 

Jaina looked at the bodies around her and then at Warren almost beseechingly as she struggled to hold both Sylvanas and her staff in her arms. 

“They will be gone soon enough.” Warren answered her silent question. 

“Put your guards back in place. Where they belong. Nathanos will cause you no further trouble. If he does - come to me.” Jaina responded. “I will have her back soon enough, rest assured.”

Warren looked like he was about to salute but he stopped himself awkwardly. 

“And get your arm fixed. Sylvanas will know all you’ve done for her. You have my word.”

“It is enough to know she will be safe, Proudmoore.”

Jaina smiled at him fondly as she began casting the spell that would get her and her love far away from the events of the night. “Jaina.” She corrected before they were gone.

“Safe And Sound”  
Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars

I remember tears streaming down your face  
When I said, "I'll never let you go."  
When all those shadows almost killed your light  
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone,"  
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Just close your eyes  
The sun is going down  
You'll be alright  
No one can hurt you now  
Come morning light  
You and I'll be safe and sound

Don't you dare look out your window, darling.  
Everything's on fire  
The war outside our door keeps raging on  
Hold onto this lullaby  
Even when the music's gone  
Gone

Just close your eyes  
The sun is going down  
You'll be alright  
No one can hurt you now  
Come morning light  
You and I'll be safe and sound


	9. Fix You

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

Jaina released a trembling sigh as she looked around the small, seaside home they had met in once before. As unassuming as it was the spells woven around it were so powerful it might as well have been another world. She had taken great care in creating this refuge for them. No one would find them. No one would even know they were inside if they passed right by the front door - though that was fairly far outside the realm of possibility. She adjusted her hold on Sylvanas as she finally let go of her staff against the wall, straining against her weight as she moved towards the bed nearby. She was lighter than she’d been when she was alive but she’d taken to wearing a hell of a lot more armor, too and as much as she loved holding her - knowing she was safe in her arms - it was a relief to finally lay her down.

She took a moment just to look at her - checking her over quickly for any obvious injury - and pushed past the strange emotions it caused. The Warchief hadn’t slept since she was raised...and to see her like this was almost terrifying. It didn’t seem natural anymore. Refusing to allow herself to wallow in memories she began pulling off her armor piece by piece. How tarnished the silver had become wasn’t lost on her - nor were the new scuffs no doubt caused by her fall. Nathanos hadn’t even been allowing her armorer to tend to her… 

Jaina pushed the anger back down and glanced over her shoulder - igniting the logs that awaited their return without even having to pause in her task. She winced as she began revealing familiar skin - tracing over places that looked almost burned in the strangest way and finding herself wishing she hadn’t spared Nathanos at all, consequences be damned. “Oh, Sylvanas…” She whispered as she stood, pulling the Warchief upright against the pillows enough that she would be able to properly wash her. 

“Mmhh...where…” 

Jaina reached for her lover’s face as she watched her eyelids flutter weakly and stroked over her cheek before leaning over and pressing a warm, lingering kiss to her forehead. “Where you belong, my darling.” She murmured. “Be still.” 

The mage was shocked at the tear that slipped down her lover’s cheek - following one of the paths already marring her skin before it diverged and met the pillow. The willpower it took to wipe the damp trail it left and pull away was almost immeasurable and she found herself rushing across the room to gather what she needed. She already had the water in the kettle she carried warmed by the time she was back at Sylvanas’s side and she sat on the edge of the bed. Gingerly and thoroughly she washed her beloved, soothing the burns that were still healing with an icy touch any time she sensed the barest amount of discomfort or a whisper of a sound from her.

When she finished she leaned down to toss the cloths she'd used into the kettle, swallowing thickly and lifting a hand to wipe the tears that had spilled without her even realizing. Her lips parted as she drew in a short, sharp breath and pressed her face into her own hands, digging her fingers into her own scalp. Oh, this was killing her. She'd never seen Sylvanas in such bad shape. Not physically, anyway. But she knew it was important to keep herself busy and with that knowledge she reached for the kettle, a soft gasp leaving her lips at the feeling of a ghost of a touch along the front of her neck that shifted around, urging her with terrifyingly little strength to turn. 

Sylvanas looked up at Jaina, licking her uncomfortably dry lips fruitlessly and struggling just to keep her eyes open. What the attack hadn’t drained from her the spellwork of the necromancers had and while it sped the healing process by days, possibly weeks, she was terrified to be this weak. Her thoughts barely came together as her hand slid to the back of her lover’s neck when she turned, failing to grasp anything and slipping away. Jaina caught it gently in her own and moved more fully onto the bed, drawing it to her lips to kiss over the cool skin of the Warchief’s fingers.

“I told you to be still.” Jaina chided gently, resting Sylvanas’s hand between them and shifting so the warmth of her thigh pressed along the other woman’s side to comfort her as she removed her own armor in a rough, impatient manner - discarding it on the floor and moving fully into the bed with her still mostly dressed. “What do you need from me?” She asked almost pleadingly as her fingertips traced along the fallen elf’s brow and down along her high, defined cheekbone - catching another tear as it fell. “Sylvanas I’m not going anywhere.” She breathed, the earnestness in her voice thick with emotion. “What is it? What’s wrong?” 

“Please don’t leave me like this.” 

She’d never heard her lover plead with her or anyone else. Not like this, anyway. She was too proud. Too vain. 

“If he finds me this way...” She grimaced and turned her head away from Jaina, mustering enough strength to hide the look with her hand only to find herself pulled strongly against the mage’s smaller body, turned to face her in a way that allowed her to press herself beneath her lover’s chin. 

As Jaina held her she knew her clothing would be a mess if she could still truly cry. But even then she wouldn’t have minded. She reached for the blankets that were usually not needed - pulling them around them both in an attempt to make her feel more secure. Less exposed. “He will not.” She breathed soothingly against the top of her head, kissing her hair and burying her face in it. “I promise you.” 

“Touch me. Jaina, I beg of you. Just touch me.” 

The mage shook her head even as she felt a hand drawing one of her own between them and had to force back a sob that threatened to rise in her throat. She took Sylvanas’s wrist in hers firmly, pulling it upwards again and wrapping the woman in her arms more tightly so she could no longer move as easily. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to. “Not right now, my love.” She breathed - her voice trembling. “Rest. Recover. Time is whatever I decide it to be, here. And there will be plenty enough for me to replace every mark he has left on you with my own.” 

But as she finally felt Sylvanas begin to relax in her arms for the first time she found herself wondering just how deep those marks were.

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The night seemed to stretch on forever. While she was almost certain Sylvanas didn’t dream she stirred almost every hour - either struggling against her or gasping for breath. Always confused and frantic until Jaina managed to calm her. By the time the sun began to rise she was utterly exhausted but the fits of panic had seemed to ebb enough that she could slip out of bed.

She stripped and gave herself a cursory wash without bothering to heat the water before changing into a pair of breeches and a loose linen tunic. She found herself wavering on unsteady feet as she crossed the room and caught herself on the cupboard she’d made her way to, eventually managing to dig into the stores of grain and dried fruits she’d stocked for herself. In a state of half-wakefulness she hissed sharply as she burned her fingertips on the kettle hanging over the fire before she managed to successfully pour some of the steaming water into her bowl.

Sylvanas reached for Jaina and her eyes opened as she felt emptiness in the bed beside her. She felt panic rising in herself and she forced her vision to focus in the room before her eyes fell on the mage - slumped over a half-eaten bowl of porridge by the dying fire, asleep. She pushed herself up slowly - finding her muscles sore and her joints aching. But still, she managed to make her way over to Jaina - step by careful step, dragging the blanket along with her. It took her a bit of time and a lot of patience with herself but eventually, she had the bowl moved away and a few more logs on the fire. Once she was sure Jaina would be warm enough she tried to lower her to the floor without disturbing her sleep - every muscle in her arms taut with strain. But she managed it - barely - leaning over her with her head hung near her chest. 

“Hey, you...” Jaina husked as she looked up in a daze, first brushing long, pale strands of hair over Sylvanas’s shoulder and then pulling her down with her. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.” She mumbled as she stayed still while Sylvanas rested her head on her chest and got settled against her. She noted how she was positioned - her sensitive ear pressed directly over her heart, and she pulled the blanket around both of them. She’d grown used to this over the years. How her heartbeat seemed to soothe her lover. It was a relief to see her behaving in a slightly more normal way. 

“Do you not want me near you?” Sylvanas asked as she shut her eyes. She didn’t know how much Jaina knew...didn’t know how she knew Nathanos’s hands had been on her. If she thought her weak for allowing it to happen even as little as she did.  
“I would keep you near me until the end of time if I could. Don’t entertain such thoughts.”  
That seemed to ease her doubt enough that she was quiet again and Jaina looked up at the ceiling of the small cabin as she stroked idly through her hair - breathing her in deeply as she shut her eyes. It was rare her scent wasn’t accompanied by the oils she usually wore. It was as though someone had taken how she smelled in life and kept it pressed inside a book for centuries for only her to find.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What are you, now, a cat?” Jaina asked in sleepy amusement as Sylvanas shut the door and glanced down at the rabbits held by strings in her hand. Her long, arched brows furrowed and she leaned the make-shift bow she’d crafted as Jaina slept against the wall near the door.

“I...I used to hunt for you when…” She trailed off and didn’t look back up and Jaina immediately regretted teasing her. Over the past few days, certain things had improved but Sylvanas was still incredibly fragile and Jaina cursed herself inwardly for not being more careful as she stood and walked over to her. She took the rabbits from her gently and lifted her chin with her fingertips. “I was only joking. Thank you.” She said softly - searching for her eyes until the forlorn looking elf finally met her gaze. 

Jaina kissed her lightly and smiled. “I’ll skin them, my darling. Go sit a while. I can smell the forest on you. You were out for a long time.” 

Sylvanas returned the kiss only shallowly before Jaina walked over to the small table across the room and began working. The cuts were the same as she, herself would have made and flashes of memory of her teaching the mage how to field-dress caused her to blink in an attempt to chase them away. There were moments, now, where she felt a little more like herself. It was best for her to stay in the present. Even if the present was plaguing her with self-doubt among other things. 

Jaina worked silently, deep in thought as she recalled how to carry out her task without wasting any meat. Maybe it would take the sting out of her fumbled words if Sylvanas knew she remembered what she’d shown her. 

She was so focused she hadn’t noticed her lover coming up behind her and she stilled her knife as she felt her firm, cool body against her back and a hand running down the front of her. Sylvanas pressed a kiss against the back of her neck - exposed beneath the messy bun her hair was pulled into and the mage's lips parted and she released a soft breath. That hand trailed further down, pressing between her legs and causing her to spread them as her breath caught hard in her throat. But she stopped her lover’s hand as it moved towards the laces of her breeches. Her other hand gripped the edge of the table and she clenched her jaw, keeping her body from reacting how it wanted to as she nearly leaned forward over the table. As badly as she wanted not to stop her she knew just how vulnerable she was. And she was terrified of making her feel used. 

“You don’t want me.” Sylvanas whispered, attempting to pull her hand away but finding it gripped tightly at the wrist as Jaina turned around and pulled her close again. 

“Is that what you think?” She demanded quietly as wounded eyes met her own in a silent yet deafeningly loud answer. 

Jaina slowly moved her hand down to pull Sylvanas’s between them as her other hand reached up to hold onto the back of her neck. Her chest rose sharply as she pressed her lover’s fingers between her legs beneath her leggings. 

Sylvanas glanced down as her fingertips were met with wetness she hadn’t expected to find and she pulled her hand up slowly, curling her fingers so the backs of her knuckles rested on Jaina’s stomach over her shirt. The mage then rested a hand on either side of the Warchief’s face and leaned her forehead against the other woman’s, slowly moving so their lips were almost touching. “Is it?” She prompted again - more gently this time. When she received no response she leaned down and lifted Sylvanas against herself by the backs of her thighs with a suddenness that caused her to wrap an arm around her human lover’s shoulders and her legs around her waist as a shuddering breath left her. 

“Do you need me to remind you?” She asked as her lips found the cool, silky skin of her collarbone where the shirt she wore had fallen slightly having been only loosely laced. 

“Yes.” Sylvanas finally murmured.

Jaina kissed up the front of her throat as she carried her lover towards the bed until her knees found the edge of it and she laid them both down. Her mouth never moved from its place against her neck and as soon as they were still she whispered against where her jaw met her ear. “Then feel me.” 

The sharp gasp this elicited from Sylvanas left no doubt the spell still worked on the woman as well as ever it had and as her magic spread throughout her body Jaina seemed to follow its path with her hands, finally slipping an arm beneath her hips as she pressed her own down firmly and lifted her head enough to look into the Warchief's eyes. 

Sylvanas arched up faintly as Jaina’s hips pushed against her between her legs, her head resting back into the pillows and pure physical sensation forced endless, insidiously nagging thoughts to the back of her mind. 

She reached for the hem of Jaina's shirt almost tentatively and the woman responded by kneeling up between her legs, looking down at her as she unlaced it and pulled it up and over her head, herself. “I am still as much yours as I always have been. I am still only yours to see.” 

“I'm sorry.” The Warchief responded quietly - sounding breathless as she ran her fingertips along the pale, softly toned expanse of Jaina’s stomach. 

Jaina smiled at her in response and shook her head, stroking down her hand and along her arm before grasping her wrist and lowering herself back down over her. “I should be the one apologizing for letting you forget.” She responded, her free hand kneading her lover’s thigh against her hip gently before she brushed their lips together. “Kiss me.” She ordered lowly, holding Sylvanas’s arm beside her against the bed. 

The Warchief responded without hesitation, pressing her lips to Jaina’s and parting them for her when she felt her tongue seeking entrance to her mouth. Her eyes shut tightly and she whimpered into the kiss as Jaina explored her body over her clothes, kneading her breast firmly through her shirt and shifting her hips more rhythmically now until she had to pull back to catch her breath. But instead of stopping she moved further down and Sylvanas tilted her chin up to allow her access to her throat and as Jaina finally released her hand it flew down to join the other ones vice-like grip on the blankets the mage had her pinned against with her weight. 

A quiet huff of breath left her as the stimulation of her lover moving her hips strongly against her own was lost the further down she moved - as far down as the cut of her shirt would allow and Jaina smirked as she glanced up at the sound, gripping the sides of the unlaced deep v of the tunic and ripping it the rest of the way down the middle, pushing the ruined garment out of her way and lowering her eyes once again to marvel at the Warchief’s body. She cradled the underside of one of her breasts in her hand and ran her thumb over the hardened bud of her nipple before covering it with her mouth. 

Sylvanas’s eyes rolled back before they shut and she pressed up into the warm haven of Jaina’s mouth, her chest shifting rapidly with her almost frantic breathing in response to the sharp sensation of teeth tugging followed by slow, languid sucking in turn until she felt she was going mad from it. “Easy, love.” Jaina murmured before nipping the soft flesh next to the nipple she’d been assaulting - covering her other breast with her hand and paying it just as much rapt attention as she trailed the tip of her nose downward - her own hot, heavy breaths leaving a blaze of desire in their wake until she reached the cuts of muscle over the Warchief’s hips. She traced them in turn with her tongue and caressed her slender sides until her hands reached the top of the fitted leggings and began guiding them down. 

She brushed her nose against the small, pale patch of fine curls she began to reveal and glanced upwards once she got her lover’s pants down around her thighs, half drunk on the sounds of the elven woman fighting for air - the way her breath caught in her throat almost every time she so much as moved. “How you could ever think I wouldn’t want you...looking like this...sounding like this…”

Sylvanas was trembling now as she watched Jaina closely, her eyes burning with desire so intense it might have terrified a lesser woman than the mage between her legs. “Do you want to watch?” She asked before kissing the rise of soft, sensitive flesh just above where it parted. 

Jaina was rewarded with a faint, distracted nod and in a quick, easy movement she shifted her beloved further up the bed so she could lean against the pillows - finally tugging her pants the rest of the way down quickly and ridding her of them along with her boots. She settled down on her chest with Sylvanas’s thighs resting against her shoulders and supported herself on one arm as she slipped her hand down her inner thigh, spreading it further to give herself more room until she gathered some of the wetness she had already seen glistening on dark, silky folds of flesh on her fingertips, spreading it up towards the other woman’s clit and circling it slowly as she watched, almost captivated by her own actions. By the stunning beauty that she had always found in the way Sylvanas’s body responded to her. 

“Jaina…” Sylvanas breathed, the muscles in her thighs twitching faintly before she tensed them in an attempt to stop them. She gasped as one of those slick fingers pressed into her in response more slowly than she was used to. She felt every second of it deeply - the gradual ease of the ache she felt for Jaina to enter her. 

“Mm is that what you wanted?” She asked, her silvery eyes looking up from the sight she found so enthralling for only a moment. She slid her finger back out slowly, relishing the way her lover’s body grasped at it instinctually and when she pressed it back in it was joined by another, stretching the tightness gripping her. 

Sylvanas was already on the edge - only able to open her eyes for a few moments at a time. Seeing Jaina so enthralled with what she was doing was beyond intoxicating and she reached up behind her own head, gripping the wooden rails of the headboard and spreading her legs further, clearly wanting more but finding herself unable to verbalize it. 

“That’s my girl.” Jaina husked, tilting her head and running her tongue slowly upwards starting from where her fingers were already working, parting soft, silken folds for herself until she had her lover’s clit in her mouth, rolling her tongue against it and then closing her lips around it as her hips bucked strongly and began rolling down against her fingers. She followed the movements easily and was careful not to change any of what she was doing as they became stilted and sporadic. 

“Jaina...Jaina, fuck don't stop. Don't s-” the word turned into a shaky moan and she reached down quickly, holding onto the back of the other woman's head to keep her still as she rode out her orgasm wordlessly. Jaina gripped her in turn with her free hand, stroking along her arm lovingly even as she had to hold her breath against her shuddering body. She gasped when Sylvanas finally let her move, leaning over her to catch her breath for only a moment before she pushed herself up entirely. 

“So beautiful…” she breathed as she slid an arm beneath her and held onto the back of her neck, using the strength of her thighs to spread her legs even further as she pressed another finger inside her still spasming body. “One more time, my darling.” She murmured against her ear - her tone both demanding and coaxing. 

Her movements were rougher now and the sound of her filling the Warchief repeatedly mingled with her unhinged whimpering in a way that only spurred her on and soon enough she felt cool arms and hands against her hot, damp back - fingers grasping desperately at her shoulders, leaving welcomed bruises behind. “There you go. Come for me.” She managed as Sylvanas turned her head towards her, barely even understanding her words as she pressed her parted lips against Jaina’s jaw, her teeth grazing it and biting lightly. “I love you.” She whispered breathlessly - unable to get out anything else. That was all she could feel. All she could think. 

Jaina's head fell against Sylvanas’s shoulder and her hand shifted slightly higher up the back of her neck, tangling in her hair and tugging at it firmly as she panted against her collarbone. Her hips moved with her hand, adding more strength to every thrust and causing the bed to groan slightly in protest beneath them in time. 

Sylvanas wrapped her legs around Jaina’s waist as she came again, forcing her to slow her movements as she dug her nails into her back, her cries muffled in her beloved’s damp, half-undone hair. Jaina’s arms shook beneath her weight when she finally slipped her hand from between them and looked down at her spent lover - releasing her hair and shifting so she could stroke over her cheek as she rested more of her body atop her. “And I, you.” She finally replied, chuckling quietly at the faint, unintelligible mumble she got in response. 

“Give me...a few minutes...” The dazed Warchief finally managed to get out, her fingers trembling against Jaina’s back as they stroked over the welted skin they’d been assaulting. 

“Take all the time you need.” Jaina whispered, reaching down to help her lower her legs into a more comfortable position. “Am I too warm for you?” She asked, shifting sideways onto one of her elbows and raising a brow as she felt one of Sylvanas’s thighs rise between her legs after she moved. Burning eyes shifted to meet hers. “You’re perfect. Like fire and ice. Though you seem to be the one melting…” The older woman smirked a bit as Jaina snorted in response before her expression grew more serious. 

“Have you come back to me, then?” She asked, finding Sylvanas’s hand with her own and bringing it to her lips to kiss. 

Sylvanas blinked at her slowly and her smirk turned into an easy, altogether disarming smile. “So it would seem.” But the mage watched as worry seemed to creep into her expression and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “Nobody is going anywhere just yet, my darling. I can keep this up for as long as you need.” 

Sylvanas tilted her head up and drew Jaina down for a slow, shallow meeting of lips that she wouldn’t have minded lasting the rest of their lives. “Can you give me a few more days?” She asked against her lips before kissing her chin, her hand slipping down to cradle the mage’s face. 

“Of course.” Jaina replied, her own speech coming with a bit of difficulty as the Warchief began rubbing her thigh between her legs. 

“Will you lay down for me?” She continued, though she had already begun turning them over. 

“Yes. God, yes.” She murmured, realizing just how much she needed this right now as the fire that had been burning within her flared back up with a vengeance.

"Fix You"  
Coldplay

When you try your best, but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want, but not what you need  
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse  
And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone, but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
But if you never try you'll never know  
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face  
When you lose something you cannot replace  
Tears stream down your face and I  
Tears stream down your face  
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes  
Tears stream down your face and I

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait :).


	10. How Long Will I Love You - An Interlude

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/43824606050/in/dateposted-public/)

Sylvanas could’ve sworn the hammering of her heart matched the pounding of her horse’s hooves as the ground flew by beneath them. And it only got worse the closer she got to home. She’d been in the field for nearly two months in response to a troll incursion along one of their more remote borders and she was supposed to have taken her leave weeks ago. But none of those things were what had her in such a state. As she crested the last hills of the forest surrounding Windrunner Village she smiled broadly at the sight that greeted her. The Ranger-General wondered as she leaned over her mount’s neck if it was healthy to love someone as much as she loved this girl. She could see the blue of her eyes and the gold of her hair even from here - so sharp was her vision. And rarely had she found herself more grateful for it.

Jaina had been watching for her approach - having mastered scrying with Modera’s help. Sylvanas never seemed to mind her checking in on her and it kept her from being so heartsick when she was gone for long stretches of time. She looked like some sort of fable come to life as she rode - her cloak billowing behind her and her long, pale blonde hair whipping from the hood of it. Even having lived it herself she sometimes still found herself pondering how all this had come to pass. 

The gallop shifted into a relaxed canter and Sylvanas settled back in her saddle easily, her back straight and only one hand holding the reins now until she was finally near enough to dismount. She bowed her head when her feet settled lightly on the ground. “Lady Proudmoore.” She greeted warmly - a mischievous smile playing at her lips. 

“Ranger-General.” Jaina returned, though she didn’t find it as easy to mask her excitement as Sylvanas did and she dropped the formalities almost immediately, running over to her only to be picked up and spun around. Her arms wrapped around the High-Elven general and she stayed close as she was lowered to her feet. 

“How have you managed to grow even more beautiful in my absence?” She asked as she looked down at the young woman and tilted her head up with her hand beneath her chin. Her attention was drawn away as she heard excited shouts and youthful laughter approaching and she chuckled - a warm, light sound in the back of her throat. 

“Lady Sylvanas! Mama said you would be back soon because the Lady-Mage came! Did you bring us presents?” The bravest of the children that had been watching for her arrival ran forward a bit farther than the others and she leaned down to pick him up against her hip, smiling at him as he gripped the edge of her pauldron. “Lady Proudmoore, young one.” She corrected gently. “And of course I have. Do I not always?” She turned and lifted the child up onto the saddle of her horse - who stood remarkably still for the exchange. The patience and intelligence of Quel’dorei steeds were unrivaled. “Go on, now, all of you. Take him to the stables and have my packs brought to my rooms so that I may gather your prizes.”

“Will you bring them to the feast tonight?” A younger, more soft-spoken girl in the back of the group asked. 

“A feast? Tonight? Whyever would there be a feast?!” She demanded in feigned surprise. The gathering of younglings giggled at her bad acting. “Yes.” She finally relieved the suspense for them. “At the feast tonight.” 

That seemed to satisfy them and then all headed back towards the village proper - her horse walking in a long, even gait of his own accord as the reins hung at his neck unused. Sylvanas felt Jaina’s eyes on her and turned her head to look at her, raising a brow at the expression of utter infatuation. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” Sylvanas scolded even as she moved to take Jaina’s hand in her own to lead her away from the village and towards the spires belonging to the most central members of the Windrunner family. 

“I’m not looking at you like anything. I just think you’d be a wonderful mother, that’s all. And I find the way you are with children rather attractive.” 

“I gathered that much...is…is that something you would want? With me?” 

“More than anything.” Jaina tightened her hold on Sylvanas’s hand and looked over at her for a moment, glancing down at her legs as she noticed some of the fluidity missing from the way she usually moved. “Were you injured?” Jaina asked idly as she turned her attention back to the elegant structures in the distance. She’d tried to get used to the fact that such occurrences were inevitable but sometimes that was easier said than done. 

“Nothing to be concerned about.” She responded as she pulled Jaina closer and wrapped an arm around her waist, finding comfort she hadn’t known she needed in the way the young mage rested her head on her shoulder while they made their way along the leaf-littered path they were on.

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Jaina ran her fingertips over the surface of the steaming water of the bath they were in, resting her head back against Sylvanas’s shoulder. “Are you asleep?” She asked gently, having noted how still she’d been the past few moments.

“Mm.”

Jaina just turned her head and kissed the underside of her jaw - exposed as it was with her head laying back against the edge of the large bathtub. She looked down, then, at the wound on her thigh that was still healing - obscured through the water but still visible and she moved her hand down to trace around the edges of it until she found one of the High Elf’s hands around her own, moving it so both their arms were wrapped around her in the water. 

Sylvanas settled back into her restful state and Jaina ceased her worrying for a time, dozing with her until the distant sound of celebration reached her ears. “We should get ready, my love. I know you heard them before me.” 

Sylvanas smiled and lifted her head, lifting Jaina and guiding her to turn until she was straddling her lap. “They don’t need me for their party. I am only an excuse for festivities.” She murmured in response, glancing down at the rivulets of water running down the curves of her young lover’s body. 

“Eyes up here, if you please.” 

Sylvanas feigned indignance as she obeyed, meeting Jaina’s gaze and resting her hands on her hips. “My apologies, fair maiden.” She responded - though there was a decidedly sultry heat to her voice. “I’ve been gone a long time.” 

Jaina leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth and then her cheek, running a hand slowly up her body and over her breast which she held gently for a moment. “That you have, my love. And I’ll show you just how fair a maiden I am later to make up for it. But not until after you’ve made your glorious appearance.” 

Sylvanas allowed her head to fall back and her body to sink further into the water - looking as bereft as she could manage as Jaina pulled away and stepped out of the tub. Jaina simply looked amused at her antics as she wrapped a towel around herself and then looked down at her. 

The sulking Ranger-General only caught a quick glimpse before she found her face draped with a towel of her own and finally forced herself to get up and Jaina couldn’t help but watch. Not that Sylvanas wasn’t making quite a show of it all. She didn’t bother to cover herself like Jaina had, instead turning her back on her to dry her hair. 

“Tease.” Jaina murmured distractedly, watching the way the muscles in her back shifted beneath her almost golden skin. 

“I’m simply doing what’s been asked of me.” Sylvanas responded as she turned to face Jaina, drying the sides of her neck and down along her chest. 

“You’ve lost weight.” Jaina pointed out as she found her own eyes roving in the same way Sylvanas had earlier. And she had. She looked every bit the warrior, now. Chiseled and hard - any excess softness whittled away by battle and the nomadic life she’d been living over the past weeks. 

“I’m out of commission for a month. I’m sure you’ll put it back on me.” She finished drying herself and moved over to Jaina, finally wrapping her towel around herself - albeit just her waist which Jaina found maddeningly distracting. “Come on. I’ll do your makeup.” 

“Sylvanas I’m not going.” Jaina protested instantly even as she was led into Sylvanas’s large, airy bedroom surrounded by permanently open windows. 

“Oh, yes you are.” She admonished with a laugh, sitting her down at her desk and pulling another chair over. “C’mere.” She didn’t give her much of a chance to respond, though, pulling her so she was sitting in front of her with her knees between her own legs so she could reach her more easily. 

“Sylvanas...they...I don’t. Do you want them to know?”

This actually made the High Elf pause for a moment before a look of amusement cause a flush to rise in Jaina’s cheeks. “You think that they do not?” She coaxed gently as she saw the blush, reaching up to cover the mage’s cheeks with her hands. “My people aren’t like yours, Jaina, darling. Nor do they have any desire to go running their mouths to them. Where yours see my visits to Dalaran as political because that is what suits their way of thinking - mine see your visits as a comfort to someone important to them. They see your love for me. And the children like your tricks. And their parents like the break you give them.” 

Jaina couldn’t help but feel her tension ease at that last statement. She had noticed that much. “I suppose. But you don’t feel like they might want more for you? Sylvanas, you’re practically immortal...you’re…”

“Shh, we’ve talked about this.” The older woman soothed, leaning forward to kiss Jaina gently. “You are no ordinary woman. I may be a Ranger but my people are no strangers to power. We mastered it long before your kind ever did...as you know well enough, we were the ones that gave it to you. And there is more of it within you than you know.” 

Jaina shook her head and wrapped her arms around her lover, seeking comfort in them and finding it immediately. “How you see these things in me I’ll never know. You speak of me as though I’m a Guardian or something.”

“A Guardian.” Sylvanas scoffed as she stroked through Jaina’s damp hair and held her close. “Aegwynn herself has nothing on you.” 

“Sylvanas, don’t say that.” Jaina admonished as she pulled her head back to look into the soft glow of her eyes. She expected to find humor in them but there was nothing there but an earnest honesty.

“You believe it, don’t you?” She asked as her lover slowly released her from the hug and she settled back down in the chair. 

“I know it, my love.”

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Try as she might Jaina found it difficult at first to keep up with the spirited festivities but eventually she eased into it. These people were easy to talk to and easy to get along with and she knew it was a privilege shared by very few humans. Which was why it was a bit of a surprise to see Vereesa walking up with Rhonin after they’d all finished eating and the real party had begun. Sylvanas turned her attention in the direction of various greetings, her hand slipping from its place at the small of Jaina’s back as her eyes landed on her sister. “Little Moon.” Her voice was warm as she walked over to her and embraced her firmly and Jaina watched with a smile. She scarcely noticed Rhonin approach until he spoke at her side.

“You’re really taken with her, aren’t you?” He asked, slowly looking away from the remaining Windrunner siblings and down at the young mage he’d grown fond of over her years of training. 

“Am I that obvious, Arch-Mage?” She asked in response, though she was fairly certain she knew the answer. 

“Oh, as obvious as I, I’m sure.” He laughed and handed Jaina a glass of the cordial that was being passed around. It was getting darker now and the courtyard was lit with magic and it made the people gathered at the homecoming look that much more surreal. 

“I love her, Rhonin.” She admitted quietly to the first person aside from her friend Modera and the Ranger-General, herself. 

“I don’t envy you that.” He responded, though there wasn’t any hint of malice or ill-intent in his voice. 

Still, Jaina looked up at him worriedly, finally managing to peel her eyes from the topic of their conversation. “What do you mean?”

“Only that she has many responsibilities and much on her plate. She’s made it easy on Vereesa and I over the years. Granting her leave whenever she can - allowing her to travel to see me by portal when all is quiet. She can’t afford herself that luxury, though.” He looked down and rested a hand on Jaina’s shoulder, smiling at her reassuringly. “And you handle it better than I would. You are wise beyond your years, Jaina. In so many ways. It would be an honor to have you as a full member of the Kirin-Tor.” 

“...A what, now?” 

She felt eyes on her, then, and her gaze darted to where Sylvanas was looking over at her with a small, knowing smile. 

“You’ve been listening this whole time?” She mouthed at her and the High Elf merely winked in a manner Jaina found both charming and infuriating and turned her attention back to her sister. Damn her hearing.

“Of course, your induction ceremony can wait until the Ranger-General returns to her duties. You’ve earned a vacation.”

“...I...Thank you. Of course.” She stammered and he patted her on the back before heading over to his wife and chatting for just a moment then moving along. Sylvanas made her way to her stunned lover and lifted her hand to her lips silently, kissing over her knuckles and moving to wipe her tears away. 

“May I have this dance, Lady Jaina Proudmoore of the Kirin-Tor?” She asked with every bit of grace and reverence she’d ever afforded even the highest noble. Only this time she meant it.

“Yes.” Jaina breathed in response - in a bit of a daze as she was led out into the center of the courtyard where a few couples were dancing in a subdued manner to a slow, melodic song. She didn’t notice all the eyes on them as Sylvanas wrapped an arm around her waist and took her hand in her own. But it seemed people couldn’t help but look. 

Jaina rested her cheek against the taller woman’s chest as they moved together so well one would think they’d been doing it all their lives. In reality this was the first time they’d ever danced. Sylvanas relished the attention she knew they were receiving but in a way that felt different than before they found one another. Much different. Now she wanted people to see this woman in her arms. She wanted their admiration where it belonged - on Jaina. 

As the song faded into something faster Sylvanas stilled instead of drawing her into the livelier tune. “I’m proud of you.” She whispered, watching as the young woman lifted her head to look at her and recognizing the longing in her eyes. “And hopelessly in love with you.” 

“Take me home, Sylvanas.” Jaina murmured, pulling gently at the front of the royal blue dress uniform she wore and then stroking over the expensive material to smooth it back. 

“Whatever the Lady wishes.” Came her playful reply as she covered Jaina’s hand with her own and stroked over it gently. 

“I wish for more than that. But you’re awfully adorable when you play at being coy.” 

“You wound me, mage.”

But she was already leading her towards the edge of the courtyard of the village and back towards the spires.

"How Long Will I Love You"  
Ellie Goulding

How long will I love you?  
As long as stars are above you  
And longer, if I can.

How long will I need you?  
As long as the seasons need to  
Follow their plan.

How long will I be with you?  
As long as the sea is bound to  
Wash upon the sand.

How long will I want you?  
As long as you want me to  
And longer by far.

How long will I hold you?  
As long as your father told you,  
As long as you can.

How long will I give to you?  
As long as I live through you  
However long you say.

How long will I love you?  
As long as stars are above you  
And longer, if I may.  



	11. My Immortal

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

“You’re tired.” Sylvanas observed as she walked over to Jaina carrying a cup of stew that had been kept warm by a bank of coals on the hearth, the heels of her boots echoing in the silence of the room.

“Perhaps.” The mage responded quietly, taking it from her and pulling her down for a kiss. “And you are wearing your armor. Do you grow restless here with me, already?”

The Warchief knelt down in front of her with her hands on her knees. “Never. But you can’t keep this up much longer. You’re running out of strength, Jaina.” The mage sat the stew aside and leaned forward as her beloved’s arms wrapped around her and she found softness in her cloak and her hair where there was none on her armored shoulder. 

“You must send me back…” Sylvanas murmured gently as she held her, though there was pain in her voice that wasn’t at all physical. “We will see each other soon enough. You told me, yourself, the wards keeping you away are gone, did you not?”

The mage nodded faintly and buried her hand in her lover’s hair, holding onto her tightly. “I can undo what has been done.” She whispered, pulling back enough to look into her eyes. 

“What are you talking about? Undo what?” Sylvanas murmured, concerned, suddenly, that Jaina was worse off than she realized. 

“All of it.” She stroked along her lover’s cheek soothingly. “I know that, now. Don’t look at me like I’ve lost my mind, Sylvanas. I haven’t.”

Sylvanas could’ve sworn she felt her long-dead heart flutter in her chest. “You can’t possibly mean…” 

Jaina stood with a bit of effort and pulled Sylvanas with her. “I’ve never said anything to you that I didn’t mean.” She responded, checking the straps on her lover’s armor and leaning into her for a moment. “Just give me time to recover and figure some things out. I’ll make it all go away. I’ll make it all better.”

Sylvanas released her as she felt her pulling away, watching in stunned silence as she made a portal for her and noting the look of relief on the mage’s face as she found no resistance against her magic this time. 

“You shouldn’t have kept this up for so long, Jaina.” She murmured before kissing her hurriedly, though she couldn’t help but linger after. 

“I needed to. I needed to see how much I could control.” Jaina breathed in response, kissing her again and pushing her gently towards the portal. “Soon, my darling. It’ll all make sense soon.” 

“I love you.” The Warchief responded, ignoring the burning in her eyes. This was the longest they’d been together since she died. She was finding it difficult to let it go. 

“And I love you, Sylvanas Windrunner. For all my days.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas looked both troubled and pained as she stepped through the portal and Warren scrambled out of the chair that sat behind her desk as though he’d been shocked. She looked up at him and smiled faintly. “Keeping it cool for me, Warren?” She asked as she tried to ignore the feeling of the portal closing behind her.

“Forgive me, My Queen, I…I wasn’t expecting you back so soon and I’ve only just finished getting things settled.” 

She raised a hand to silence him and looked around the room, her eyes landing on her bow laid across her desk almost reverently. “You’ve done very well. Sit. Please. I’ve had more than enough rest.”

Warren obeyed, albeit a bit reluctantly, and watched her carefully, reaching forward to nudge her bow towards her gingerly. She made her way over to the desk and picked it up, laying it on her lap as she sat in the chair opposite the Forsaken guard in front of her. “Lady Proudmoore informed me of your actions the night I was attacked.” She said simply, watching as he bowed his head to look at where he fiddled with his own hands in his lap. 

“I was doing my job.” He responded. 

“Be that as it may, you did it admirably. You went above and beyond for me, Warren. You’ve more than earned the right to know what it is that’s been going on. Anything you have to ask of me I will answer.” 

He looked up at her for a moment in surprise. It wasn’t often she spoke to anyone in such a personal way. Not that he’d seen or heard in all his years of service to her. But he _was_ curious. And if she was offering…

“How long?”

Sylvanas leaned back in her chair and looked to be deep in thought for a moment. It worried him. Had he started off with a bad question?

“Oh, twenty years or so. Maybe a little longer.” She finally replied. There was no sign of irritation in her voice and he felt relieved and then the meaning behind those words hit him and he looked as shocked as she’d ever seen him for a moment. 

“Before, then.” He continued, having finally managed to stop fidgeting. 

“Yes. Before my death.” She affirmed with a sad half-smile. 

“And Nathanos...how long has he known?” He asked - and the slight agitation in his voice when it came to anything involving Blightcaller read loud and clear to her. 

“Also since before.” She crossed her legs beneath her bow and rested her chin in her hand as she adjusted her seat to get more comfortable. 

“He would betray his Queen…over jealousy?” The confusion in Warren’s voice was palpable. “He...would not have made a suitable mate for you, I don’t think. He lacks...strength.” 

Sylvanas hid her smile beneath her fingertips as she watched him find his voice when it came to this subject in particular. 

“I mean he’s...strong enough. He did remove my arm rather handily, after all. Though it _was_ halfway there already - if we’re being honest with ourselves. But that isn’t the kind of strength you need…” He looked up and raised a hand. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t tell you what it is that you need...it’s just…I would never have guessed that you and Proudmoore… But I’m terribly glad for it. Truly. That you have someone.”

“Warren there isn’t any need for apologies. We speak as friends, now. And you’re right. He was always a weak man. Feeding off and hungering after my power. And I allowed it. I thought it kept him loyal. And I was wrong. And it put myself and you and your men in danger. It may continue to do just that. For that I apologize.”

The long-dead man was quiet for a long time, seeming to mull her words over in his head. Had...had Sylanas just _apologized_? To _him_? There was little he could do aside from ignore it and move on.

“If I were in a position to ensure he could no longer...do the things he did...I would never allow any of it again.”

Sylvanas nodded. “I know. And that is why I wish to promote you to High Commander of the Royal Guard. Stationed with and answering only to me. It will be a permanent post.” She leaned forward to where his hands had come to rest together on the desk and covered them with her own. “And I would like to consider you a friend, as well. If it so suits you.”

Warren hadn’t really felt anything in years. Irritation, yes. Of course. Tons and tons of irritation. But this...this was overwhelming. This was what pride felt like. He could almost remember it. No, he did remember it. And this was it. Surely. “I find the arrangement agreeable.” He finally said - realizing just how long he’d been staring at her for. 

“Good. I thought you might. Now - brief me on Nathanos’s agents. Have you found them all? Have they been dealt with?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina dropped her staff against the wall near her bed and collapsed into it weakly, covering her eyes with her arm and letting out a heavy sigh. Her mind raced with possibilities and plans and words from the ancient texts she’d been studying in a way that had her feeling slightly nauseous and all she wanted right then was to sleep. For days if possible, though she knew she’d be lucky to get a few hours. Eventually, though, her mind relented and she drifted into an uneasy rest.

_”Jaina, you know I can’t go with you. My people need me. If Silvermoon falls…”_

_The Mage wiped the angry tears from her face as she paced the inside of Sylvanas’s tent, looking down at the war maps spread across it and slamming her fists down into them. “God damnit, Sylvanas. You can’t possibly believe you can stop him here. Not alone. Let me fight by your side.”_

_“No.” She responded simply, her voice almost emotionless and cold. It made Jaina turn around slowly and look at her - and instead of impassiveness, she found an almost mournful expression._

_“Then...you mean to die here.” Jaina whispered, a flush of anger rising in her face as she moved towards her and grabbed her by the breastplate of her armor, pulling her close. “Is that it?!” She demanded, her voice breaking in a way that caused Sylvanas’s lower lip to tremble before she forced composure back on herself._

_“The last gate will hold.” She lied evenly, bringing a hand up to take Jaina’s in her own and stroking her thumb over the small golden band on her ring finger._

_The mage wilted in her arms as she found them coming around herself, collapsing into them and shaking her head as her sobs could no longer be bitten back. “Come back to me.” She pleaded. “When you win this war...come back to me...retire. Like you promised. Please, Sylvanas.”_

_“I will.” She breathed as she fell to her knees with her lover in her arms when she felt the mage’s legs give out, burying her face in her hair and stroking it soothingly. “Our rooms will be filled with warmth and laughter forevermore. And you will teach our wild elven children how to act among noble, civilized folk like yourself.”_

_Jaina laughed through her tears and managed to lift her head, resting her forehead against her beloved’s temple. “You are no more wild than a house cat, my darling. And nobler than I will ever be.”_

_“Wounded, again.” She responded breathlessly as the ache in her chest threatened to overwhelm her. “That’s supposed to be our secret. I’d like to consider myself a decent mouser at the very least.”_

_Velonara almost didn’t have the strength to interrupt what she heard coming from her General’s tent. It felt like the air had gone out of her lungs. But she managed to pull back the flap of canvas and keep her voice even. “Ranger-General.”_

_Sylvanas turned her head and there was warning in her eyes._

_Velonara just caught the almost imperceptible signal to watch her words._

_“Yes, Captain?” She responded as she helped Jaina to her feet._

_“Forgive the intrusion. We simply needed to go over a few formation options with you.”_

_Jaina looked from the captain to her lover and Sylvanas bent to kiss her softly. “Go to Dalaran, my love. Your people need you as well.”_

_Jaina felt her hands tremble as she nodded and opened a portal for herself. “Promise me.” She whispered as she stopped herself mid-turn._

_“I promise.”_

_“I love you.”_

_“And I, you.”_

_Sylvanas watched as the portal closed and slowly turned to face Velonara._

_“They’re coming. They are too many.” The Ranger breathed and Sylvanas smiled sadly as she picked up her bow._

_“I know.”_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina woke to the sound of her own screams, her clothes soaked through with sweat and her face wet with tears. She stumbled out of bed and collapsed on the floor. “No. No, no, no.” She gasped out, pressing her forehead against the warm wood of the floorboards. She hadn’t been there. She hadn’t heard that. It was just a dream. Sylvanas hadn’t known….she hadn’t lied.

“You will see many things you will wish you hadn’t if you stay on the course you’ve plotted for yourself, young one.” 

She turned in the direction the deep, timeless voice had come from and her eyes landed on an image of a man with strangely exotic, elven features. Nozdormu.

“Do you mean to stop me, then?” She asked, her voice shaking with emotion as her heart still raced in her chest. 

He chuckled weakly and shook his head. “I could not even if I wanted to. I no longer have the strength. I only mean to warn you. This is only a taste of what is to come. The Fallen One has known suffering beyond imagining...and you will, too, once all is said and done. Every moment - every memory will only be burdened unto you. What will be left of you if you succeed?” 

She brought a hand to her chest, clutching it and shaking her head in defiance. “All that I have ever wanted.” She whispered, firm in her conviction. 

The former Aspect seemed satisfied. “Mm. So be it.”

And with that he was gone and Jaina forced herself up and made her way back to her bed, sitting on the edge of it for a long while with her head in her hands before she reached into one of the pouches on her belt and produced a ring, holding it tightly in her palm to her lips as she tried to pull herself together. She didn’t need to look at it to see the fine Quel’dorei engravings along the surface of the gold. She’d traced them so many times she could have drawn them from memory alone.

“Anything. It’s worth anything.” She breathed, releasing a shuddering sigh and heading to her desk to the ancient scrolls she’d been working her way through. But even the intensity with which she studied couldn’t keep her thoughts centered, so affected had she been by the dream that wasn’t a dream. 

_”Jaina.”_

_The young mage looked up, surprised to see Rhonin visiting her in her private quarters in the middle of war preparations. And even more surprised to see Vereesa absent. She was almost always by his side since they’d found out about her pregnancy. “Arch-Mage. Where is the mother of my future niece or nephew?” She asked with a tired smile as she stood. Only a handful of people knew about her engagement to Sylvanas and since Rhonin was soon to be family he was certainly one of them._

_The older man looked away from her in a way that made her falter - made the smile fade from her face. And then Modera slipped into her room behind him and shut the door. “She...she has been evacuated. Arthas has set his sights on Dalaran.” He said quietly, losing all the words he’d been planning to say as heavy as his own heart was with grief._

_Jaina turned to look down at her desk, resting her fingertips over the maps she’d been studying as she blinked back tears and then swallowed thickly, smiling again and turning her attention back towards him only to see Modera pressing Rhonin aside and approaching her._

_“Modera it’s lovely to…to….”_

_“Come here, child.” She whispered, watching Jaina take a step back and shake her head as a solitary tear slipped down her face._

_“No.” She whispered, fretting with her fingertips over the ring Sylvanas had nervously slid onto her finger so few months prior._

_“Why?” She demanded suddenly - her voice shaking, now. “Why Dalaran?”_

_Modera almost lost her own carefully gathered composure but managed to answer her. “Silvermoon has fallen.”_

_Jaina felt her entire body go numb. And all she could hear was the deafening thump of her own pulse in her ears. “That is not possible. The gates.”_

_“The Quel’dorei were betrayed.” Modera explained with as much gentleness as she had in her. “Their messengers never got through. The city was razed before we even knew what was happening.”_

_“The...the city?” She managed to choke out. “He made it into the city? Not...not while she still draws breath. There’s been a mistake, Modera.”_

_Rhonin cast one last gaze on the two friends and turned to leave with a heavy heart._

_Modera approached her carefully and watched as she seemed to draw away, further into herself. “She fell in Fairbreeze Village.” Modera whispered. “They all did.”_

_“What of the survivors?” Jaina asked, her voice choked painfully with grief._

_“She bought them time, darling girl. But she is not among them.”_

Jaina pulled away from her desk as she saw her own tears causing the ink she was reading to bleed and she reached for a nearby cloth to dry them before the texts were ruined. She believed Nozdormu. She believed the things she would see would be terrible, indeed. But not as terrible as having the power to unravel it all and doing nothing.

"My Immortal"  
Evanescence

I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams  
Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me  
All of me... me... me...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance. This was a rough one.


	12. Say Something - An Interlude

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

Jaina lowered herself slowly to one of the bedrolls surrounding the fire in the large cave the unit she’d been traveling with had settled in for the night. Even as the other members of her company shivered she simply looked out into the snow-haze that nearly obscured the citadel they were heading towards. They were following up on information that a weakness had been found that would allow them entry into the halls of reflection and all she could think about was Arthas and how much she wished he were still just a man - that she could take from him even a fraction of what he had stripped from her.

She blinked and looked to the side as her brow furrowed in response to the fire flickering and almost dying out entirely followed abruptly by a creeping feeling of dread. 

Dark magic. 

And as she stood, staff in hand, ready to fend off whatever new threat was coming for them she instead watched silently as a handful of seemingly sentient undead marched by the entrance of their camp wearing tabards she didn’t recognize. “What is this?” She asked in a whisper to her companions who, while uneasy, weren’t quite as prepared to fight as she was. “The Hand of Vengeance, Lady Proudmoore.” One of them murmured, careful not to speak too loudly. 

And then any noise of whispers or movement in the cave died out completely as the source of what she’d sensed came into view. Riding atop a horse made of bone and strips of flesh. She found herself unable to breathe. Even obscured by snow as the figure was she was fearsome - that much was clear. A tattered cloak whipped around her dark armor - her midriff exposed though she seemed unbothered by the cold. A woman. An elf. “And this?” She hissed, her voice shaking slightly as she gripped her staff more tightly. 

The horse stopped suddenly directly in front of the cave entrance - seemingly without any cue from its dark rider. A hard gust of wind blew brittle, pale hair from the woman’s cloak and Jaina watched as one of her long, unadorned ears shifted in response to the noise it heard. 

Jaina felt hands pulling her back as burning red eyes landed on her. But she was frozen in that gaze - in eyes that radiated nothing but cold hatred. “No.” She whispered brokenly, suddenly pulling against the hands that held her.

“Jaina...Jaina, stop it, lass.” An irritatingly strong dwarf whispered in her ear. “The Dark Lady ain’t here for us. She’s here for him.” 

Even the undead horse seemed to falter when its rider heard that name, side-stepping, and huffing before going still beneath her. Jaina could’ve sworn she saw a flash of recognition before she was released from her gaze and watched, helplessly, as she rode on. 

She was shaking almost violently now and a few members of her party rushed to her side as the dwarf laid her down. “What’s she done to ya, Jaina?” He demanded, glancing out at nothing but snow and then back down at the mage. 

“Get off me! Get off!” She shouted - her voice tearing from her throat in a powerful rasp as she scrambled to her feet and out into the blistering snow only to find...nothing. 

_”Careful, little mage.”_ The voice in her head stunned her. Terrified her. A cold, echoing bastardization of a voice that had once soothed her deepest fears. _”You may not like what you find."_

And she’d been right. The next time she saw the one they had referred to as the Dark Lady it was in Dalaran after Arthas had fallen. And she’d come needing something. 

“What…?” Jaina asked as a look of confusion crossed her face and she lifted her head from the parchment she’d been writing on to look up at Modera. 

“The Banshee Q...Sylvanas Windrunner requests an audience with you. A private one.” 

Jaina stood up quickly and smoothed out her robes. “I...yes. Yes, of course. As soon as she’s ready.”

Modera looked Jaina over grimly for a moment before continuing. “Don’t expect much, Jaina. Please. For your sake.”

Jaina only nodded faintly. “I don’t.” She responded quietly, trying to quell the feeling of hope that had risen in her chest. 

Modera genuinely hoped that was the case as she went to fetch their imposing guest. 

Sylvanas listened silently from the hallway - hearing even such hushed conversation easily. Her brow furrowed and she winced when she heard Jaina’s response. As much as she wanted the mage to stay away from her - from what she’d become - a part of her had still hoped…

“She’s waiting.” Modera’s voice caused her to look up slowly - her gaze even and her body disturbingly still. 

“I know.” She muttered darkly before moving past the woman in the dimly lit hallway towards Jaina’s familiar door. 

“Sylvanas, I meant no…” 

“I care not what you meant. It is of no concern to me.”  
And with that, the door shut and Modera turned to look at it, lips parted in unspoken apology. But she stayed put out of worry for Jaina.

“Sylvanas.” Jaina breathed, resting a hand on the back of the chair she stood near and watching as the risen elf turned her head towards the door slightly and then released a sharp breath through flared nostrils. “I’m not going to hurt her, Modera. Enough of your incessant hovering. She is a grown woman.” Her head stayed turned until she heard reluctant footsteps retreating down the hall and turned her gaze on Jaina, gripping her bow in her hand so tightly the leather of the wrap began making quiet sounds of protest. 

It shocked Jaina to hear her speak to Modera that way. To hear her speak that way at all. And her body language...she looked angrier than she'd ever seen her in her life all from one short exchange. She wanted to run to her. To soothe her. To tell her the countless things she never thought she would get the chance to tell her again. But she found herself unable to move. 

Sylvanas blinked softly at her, regarding her for a time before she leaned her bow against the door slowly. “The old mage is right, you know.” She finally said - her voice bitter and hollow. 

It made Jaina’s heart skip a beat. It was the same one she’d heard in her head in the mountains. And no less chilling even in person. 

“What...what did he do to you?” She asked, feeling suddenly as though she had no choice but to sit back down in the chair she’d been holding onto. She couldn’t help but grimace as cold, grating laughter met her ears in response. 

“Come, now, Jaina. You have eyes. You know what he did.” Sylvanas chided - though there was no warmth or fondness there like there used to be. 

She stayed as still as she could manage as Sylvanas approached and the dark energy she exuded seemed to creep along her skin as she came to a stop close enough that she could have reached out and touched her if she chose to. “You always were a sentimental girl.” The Banshee Queen remarked idly as her eyes fell on the ring the mage still wore. 

“Have you come just to tear my world further asunder, then?” Jaina asked, pulling her hand against herself and covering it with her robes. 

Sylvanas faltered, then, eyes flashing up to look at her face - at the pain the young woman was trying desperately to hide. And she ignored the question.

“I was betrayed in my absence. While I fought in Northrend my advisor successfully took my city from me. The Wrathgate - which I was blamed for - was a convenient distraction. It has given your Alliance an excuse to come for us. For Lordaeron and for the Undercity. Even now my people fight against the usurpers. Yet, still, your army approaches.”

“They are not _my_ Alliance.” Jaina muttered bitterly - their failure to go to the aid of their former allies in Quel’thalas still far too fresh to be forgotten. Especially when her lover was standing in front of her...dead. And full of bitterness where there was once nothing but selfless, unending love. 

“Mm. But they are.” Sylvanas whispered and the sound sent chills up Jaina’s spine. “Go to Varian. Tell him what has happened. Tell him I would never destroy the haven your people forced me to create for the Forsaken.”

“ _My_ people?” Jaina demanded as her glassy blue eyes caught Sylvanas’s fiery gaze. She felt like it would burn through her very soul if she looked too long. “You...you were my whole world and everything in it.” She stood and walked over to her and Sylvanas stayed as still as a statue as one of the mage’s hands came up and touched her face, drawing back at once when she felt how cold her skin was. 

Sylvanas turned her head away from her and moved to retrieve her bow. “Will you do this for me?” She asked - her voice suddenly quiet. 

Jaina stayed where Sylvanas had left her, looking down at her fingertips as though she could still feel the chill on them. “Yes. Of course.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why did you stop him?” Sylvanas asked from the darkness behind her desk - her voice low and slightly dangerous. Jaina still hadn’t gotten used to it.

She swallowed thickly and looked around the dark, stone room - at the moss growing from the mortar. The Undercity was still recovering from the attempted overtaking. Varian was still angry with her for stopping him from purging it. It had taken a lot of courage to come back even days later and she’d been almost surprised that Sylvanas had agreed to see her. 

“He would have killed you.” She finally said - her voice quiet and careful. She looked at the woman she had once loved nervously as she saw the glow of her eyes brighten and then dim again. Still...still loved. 

Sylvanas stood slowly and made her way around her desk until she was painfully close to Jaina - regarding her coldly. “Your Alliance _king_ would have killed us all. Would have stolen this land from those who died defending it. From those he turned away.” She muttered angrily, her teeth bared slightly. 

Jaina glanced down at sharp canines that hadn’t been there before and quickly back to eyes that seemed to fill with hurt if only for an instant. “And you…” The Banshee Queen muttered. “You would have me dead, too. Wouldn’t you. You see a monster standing before you.” 

Jaina shook her head and reached for her, wincing as she felt a frighteningly strong hand grip her wrist. “Why do you insist upon trying to touch me, mage?” Sylvanas demanded, forcing her towards the door. 

“Why won’t you _let_ me?!” She breathed in response, eyes glinting with unshed tears and a tremor in her voice as she ignored the pain radiating from the grip the fallen High Elf had on her. 

“Because I can’t _feel_ it!” She shouted in response, shoving her backwards as she released her and turned away from her. “Nor do I remember how it felt when I could.” She continued - her voice barely audible. 

Jaina was still clutching her ears as the echoes of that terrible yell made their rounds in the circular room. That small admission had told her more than she would ever have expected to get out of her, though and she got up slowly from where she’d stumbled and lowered her hands, dropping her gaze to the floor. “What _do_ you remember?” Her voice was barely a whisper. 

“Enough to know you shouldn’t keep wearing that damned ring.” Sylvanas snapped back bitterly before sitting heavily on the edge of her desk, leaning forward slightly with her hands on the edge of it. 

Jaina looked down at it and covered it with her other hand for a moment before taking it off slowly. She walked towards Sylvanas - sensing the rage she was still having trouble controlling had died down somewhat. “Here, then.” She breathed, holding the band out to her despite how her hand shook. 

Sylvanas looked at it for a long time but found herself unable to take it from her. Instead, she stood and pushed Jaina’s hand away, albeit gently, before walking to the other side of the room. Her hands slid into her own hair beneath her cowl, tugging at it in a way that alarmed Jaina even as hurt as she was. 

“What are you doing to me?” She asked - all the power gone from her voice. 

“Loving you.” Jaina responded, her own voice wounded and low. 

“Why?” She hadn’t heard Sylvanas whisper in such a way in so long it gave her pause. 

“Because I can’t stop.” 

Silence fell over the room and it lasted for what felt like an eternity before Jaina heard what she could’ve sworn was a sob akin to a wail from a shadowy edge of the cold, damp room. 

She summoned a soft orb of light that followed her as she rushed towards the sound and found Sylvanas pressed back against the wall with her face against her knees and her hands covering her head. 

Jaina drew in a sharp breath and found herself on the floor next to her before she could even think - her fear cast aside instantly as she wrapped her arms around her, ignoring the jagged edges of her unfamiliar armor and pulling her close. 

Sylvanas was almost limp against her, her head eventually falling into the mage’s lap as a shudder wracked her body. 

“I won’t wear it anymore.” She whispered, pulling the hood from her head before Sylvanas could stop her and stroking through her hair, ignoring the coldness of her and the strange feeling of the strands that passed beneath her fingers. Once strong, sleek hair felt as though it would break under the lightest touch, though it didn’t. 

Sylvanas couldn’t respond just yet, crippled as she was by memories that she wasn't yet ready to experience. 

“I can get rid of it, Sylvanas...I...anything you need. Anything.”

“No.” Came a surprisingly adamant response and another almost-sob. But as her fingertips found the cold skin of the Banshee Queen’s face there were no tears and she found the hand still clutching the ring covered by one of Sylvanas’s firmly. “Please keep it.”

Jaina felt relief flood her. For the first time, she felt as though maybe there was something of her left. And that something desperately wanted to hold onto the life they had had together - the life they were supposed to build out of their love. Even if she couldn’t admit it. Even if she never did. 

“Do I not disgust you?” Sylvanas asked after some semblance of calm came over her - no doubt from Jaina’s presence. She hadn’t felt calm since she was raised. She hadn’t even come close to it. 

“You terrify me.” Jaina breathed in response, leaning her head back against the wall. “But you do not disgust me. I fear the things you are capable of doing to me. But it is a risk I’m willing to take.” 

Sylvanas turned her head slightly, looking at the wrist of the arm that was wrapped around her. At the dark, angry bruises already forming there. And then she felt Jaina’s hand guiding her head in a way that left her no longer able to look at what she’d done to her. “I am not the girl in your tent in Fairbreeze any more than you are the woman that pulled me onto that dance floor in the Village.” The mage murmured as she looked out into the room at nothing in particular, still stroking over the hair beneath her hand. “We will learn how to deal with this...with this thing inside you. But I won’t allow you to push me away.”

Sylvanas remained silent as she allowed Jaina to hold her for a while before slowly getting up. “It would be better if you did.” She responded, lifting Jaina by her arm though she was careful not to bruise her this time. She led her towards the door of her inner chambers and stopped nearby. “Let go of me, Jaina.” She breathed, her eyes narrowed slightly. “I _am_ the thing inside me that you speak of. It’s best you face that reality now.”

“No.” The mage responded simply. 

“Try.” She argued quietly as she reached in front of her and opened the door. 

Jaina rested a hand on hers on the handle and looked into her eyes. “I promised my life to you.” She removed the other woman’s hand and moved to show herself out. “One of us has to keep our promises. Perhaps one day you’ll allow me to.” 

Sylvanas stood in her now otherwise empty rooms stunned - her eyes trained on the door that had just shut. Oh, she had felt that.

 

"Say Something"  
A Great Big World

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
I'll be the one if you want me to  
Anywhere I would've followed you  
Say something, I'm giving up on you

And I... am feeling so small  
It was over my head  
I know nothing at all  
And I... will stumble and fall  
I'm still learning to love  
Just starting to crawl

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you  
Anywhere I would've followed you  
Say something, I'm giving up on you

And I... will swallow my pride  
You're the one that I love  
And I'm saying goodbye

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you  
And anywhere I would've followed you (Oh-Ooh)  
Say something, I'm giving up on you

Say something, I'm giving up on you  
Say something...  



	13. When We Were Young

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

Sylvanas lifted her gaze to where Warren leaned against the wall near the entrance to the room and then looked around as her brow furrowed. He stood up straight when she placed her writing quill down.

“What is it, My Queen? Did you hear something?”

“No, Warren.” She responded, pushing her chair back from her desk and standing up slowly. “Would you step outside? I'll call for you when I need you back.”

The newly appointed High Commander chuckled deep in his throat. “Of course, Dark Lady. Give her my regards, won't you?” 

“Give who your regards?” She asked as she tilted her head in mock confusion. 

Warren huffed and narrowed his eyes at her. 

“Of course I will.”

“ _Thank_ you.”

She watched as he left and her eyes fell shut as a portal opened behind her almost immediately. Getting used to not being with Jaina had been difficult. It had been nearly two weeks - time spent by both of them in continuing to organize a war neither of them wanted to wage any longer. She must have blinked from the portal straight to her, though, because in the next instant she felt lips along the underside of one of her ears and an arm wrapping around her waist. “Jaina.” She breathed, tilting her head for the attention as she felt her skin tingle with the life her lover was manipulating into it. And then an unfamiliar sensation along her jaw caused her eyes to open and she looked down at the black rose now ghosting down her throat. 

“Happy anniversary, Sylvanas.” Jaina murmured as she allowed the woman to turn slowly in her arms. As the Warchief took the small, delicate gift from her she looked down at it, watching the way the silken petals seemed to shimmer faintly. “It won't wilt. Nor does it require water.” Jaina explained, running the backs of her fingers down along her lover’s cheek soothingly. She didn't expect anything in return. She had long ago grown used to the fact that her beloved sometimes had a difficult time remembering things from their old life - especially something so specific as a date. 

“Sentimental girl.” She whispered as she turned her head to kiss the mage’s palm. 

Jaina watched her with a soft smile - tracing along her skin with her thumb and looking down at a small, cloth-wrapped bundle Sylvanas produced between them. She looked back up at her as she took it in her hands carefully. “And to you, as well, dalah’surfal. I had hoped you would come tonight.” The Warchief's voice was warm and gentle as a caress and she felt it down to her very core. 

Jaina swallowed thickly and looked down again at what she held. The cloth wrapping fell to the floor as she brought a hand to her mouth when her gaze fell on an old, familiar Thalassian language primer - the worn leather binding, the gold inlays. She could almost hear her lover’s careful articulations of the delicate language against her ear. “Sylvanas…” she breathed, clutching the old book against her chest tightly. “How…?”

“I try.” She responded, taking the book from her gently and sitting it behind her on the desk along with the rose before she moved against her more closely. “Dance with me.” She whispered against her temple. 

“Sylvanas, don't be ridiculous. There isn't any music.” Jaina breathed as she leaned into her, pressing her face into the crook of her neck with her eyes shut tightly lest she further lose her grasp on her emotions. 

Sylvanas slid a hand between them and rested it over her lover’s chest and then farther up to tilt her chin up. “There is always music.” She corrected gently, taking Jaina's hand in her own and guiding her into a slow, rhythmic sway. “The beating of your heart has been my favorite song since I first heard it.” She released her chin slowly and rested a hand on her side. She smiled warmly as the tails of Jaina’s robes brushed the ground in time to their movements now and she tilted her head down to press that smile against the mage’s cheek as she lowered her hand to her shoulder and wrapped both arms around her. “Like that.”

Jaina felt as though her heart would break in two as she moved in time to what only her beloved could hear and her head came to rest against the strap of her quiver across her chest, her hand moving from the armor adorning her shoulder to the side of her neck. “I miss you.” Her voice was barely audible and Sylvanas tightened her arms around her. 

_”Shut your eyes, my love. I’m right here.”_ The voice in her head only caused her to press closer and she couldn’t even manage to wonder when she’d learned how to make it sound like it had when she’d been alive. 

Sylvanas rested her cheek against the top of Jaina’s head - ignoring the fact that she could hear her heart racing, now, off-time but even more breathtaking because she knew it raced for her. 

“Stay the night with me.” Jaina murmured when she finally found her voice again - completely unaware of how much time had passed. 

“Where?” She asked as she tucked stray strands of blonde hair behind her younger lover’s ear without having to look. 

“I don’t care.”

“Then take us home.” She whispered, and as she lifted Jaina’s head in her hands the mage could’ve sworn she saw a flash of the royal blue dress uniform she’d worn the last time they’d danced. 

Before she could say anything else the first thing she heard was the gentle sound of the tide outside open windows - the forests of the Ghostlands eerily quiet as the banshees outside sensed her presence and were calmed by it. She still held Jaina’s face and as the mage looked into her eyes her lips parted for a moment before she could speak. “Is this home?” 

“This was always home.” Jaina murmured, watching as Sylvanas looked out the nearest window and dampness distorted the glow of her eyes. 

“Don’t do that.” Jaina soothed, reaching up to guide her attention back to her. “Don’t act like you haven’t always known.” She stepped back slowly and turned to look at the long-abandoned room. She walked towards the bed and glanced towards the long-dead, enchanted lanterns situated on the walls - relighting them with an easy gesture to better illuminate the space.

The Warchief turned slowly to look around - at how everything looked just as it had the day she’d left it. Wooden floors were soft and warm instead of splintered with disuse and age and plaster was no longer crumbling from the walls. She found herself lost in it as she walked around - eventually finding the bookshelf she’d just recently retrieved Jaina’s long-lost book from. She traced the space it had been in with the tip of her glove and then ran her fingertips along the spines of the books they’d read together once Jaina had gotten more proficient at her language. And many books she had read to the mage, herself, at her urging.

Jaina waited quietly as Sylvanas retraced her memories once she’d removed her robes and laid them on the bed next to herself and sat on the edge of it, her eyes following her carefully - making sure it wasn’t too overwhelming for her. 

“Jaina…” Sylvanas whispered as she finally turned to face her again. 

“Come to bed.” The mage responded in a gentle tone, pulling the blankets back and pushing her clothing out of the way. Before she knew it Sylvanas was on her knees between her legs with her face pressed against her and her arms around her tightly. “Thank you.” She gasped out against the bare skin of her lover’s stomach. 

Jaina removed what little armor she could reach with more care than she usually showed, running her fingertips over the small marks it left in her skin. “Of course.” She whispered as she unclasped her cloak and guided the hood past her ears, brushing the barely visible spots in them that used to be adorned with some of the finest jewelry she’d ever seen. 

As Sylvanas felt Jaina’s hands on the clasp of her mail choker she finally lifted her head, helping the younger woman with the rest and then climbing into bed with her. 

For the longest time they just held one another, Sylvanas’s head pressed into her pillow and Jaina stroking gently along the bare expanse of her back. “You didn’t really think I just got you a flower, did you?” She finally asked - finding the smile this brought to Sylvanas’s face an adequate reward. 

Slowly the Warchief shifted enough that she could properly see her lover, reaching out to trace the slope of her collarbone as she glanced down, taking in the soft lines of her body. 

“Hey.” Jaina whispered, reaching out to lift her chin with her fingertip as her eyes glinted playfully. “Up here.” 

Sylvanas looked into Jaina’s eyes and trailed her hand lower in such a way that she felt the mage’s stomach tense beneath her touch. 

“After all these years you still look at me as though you’ve never seen me before.” She continued. 

“I don’t suspect that will ever change.” Sylvanas murmured, leaning in to kiss her gently. 

“Only one of us is getting older, my love.” Jaina responded though she found the combination of the kiss and her lover’s roving hand distracting. 

Sylvanas found the back of Jaina’s thigh and guided it up over her hip, stroking all the way back up to the small of her back to pull her closer. “Such a burden - to age as gracefully as the finest wine…” Sylvanas lamented with an amused smirk, her eyes half-lidded as she watched a faint blush rise in the mage’s cheeks. “Mm...didn’t know I could still do that.” 

“Sylvanas Windrunner. If you don’t stop teasing me, I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” She asked, and Jaina found her only response was a gasp as Sylvanas slipped a finger into her from behind her thigh and she couldn’t help but press her hips closer. 

“I…” Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the muscles in her lover’s forearm shift against her as she started moving inside her and she gripped her arm tightly as the blush only deepened and she turned her face against the pillow. 

Sylvanas leaned over her slightly and kissed behind her ear where her braid had her hair conveniently pulled away from it before she ran her tongue along it and nipped the lobe. “Have I ever told you how much I appreciate how wet you get for me?” She asked against it, watching as Jaina nodded weakly in response. 

“Many times.” Jaina breathed, releasing her grip and instead sliding her arm around the Warchief’s slender waist so as not to hamper her movements. 

“I don’t suspect that will ever change, either.” 

She watched as Jaina reached between them, her eyes falling shut against the sight of the mage spreading her fingers on either side of her own to feel what she was doing since she couldn’t see. “Touch yourself for me.” She murmured breathlessly. 

“You know I don’t need to.” She managed, though her voice shook audibly. 

“I want you to.” 

Jaina obeyed wordlessly. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed Sylvanas’s confidence in bed until now as she felt burning eyes watching her closely while she pleasured herself in time to her lover’s slow, deep movements. She surprised them both with how quickly she came and she reached behind herself to stop her moving, her hand shaking as she gasped for air. 

“Anar’alah, Jaina...have you been needing me so badly?” She asked breathlessly as she felt the mage’s arms around her and held her in turn, stroking over her hair and kissing her forehead gently. She could feel her heartbeat so strongly as their chests pressed together it could easily have been her own and she reached for the discarded blankets to pull around them both. 

“I love you.” She responded despite the question.

“And you know I love you.” 

Jaina smiled and reached for Sylvanas’s hand, guiding it to her lips and kissing over one of her still glistening fingertips before she drew it into her mouth, cleaning it and nipping it teasingly as she pulled back, twining their fingers together. She couldn’t help the feeling of pride that came over her at the way Sylvanas watched her, seemingly mesmerized. “Kiss me.” 

The stunned elf leaned in as she’d been asked and pressed their lips together only to find Jaina’s tongue against her own. Her eyes fell shut and a sharp breath left her as Jaina pressed her onto her back. Memories flooded her accompanied by a rush of emotion. She tasted her in their kiss. _Tasted_ her. Sweet and subtle and...and everything she remembered it to be. She broke the kiss and gasped against her lips, her hands coming up to tangle in Jaina’s hair as she looked up at her in shock - at the gentle smile and the adoring, devoted gaze that was trained on her reaction. 

“I’ve been working on that for a while.” The mage murmured as she rested her weight against her lover. “I take it I’ve finally gotten it right?” 

“Can you do that…” Sylvanas trailed off - as apprehensive to ask too much of Jaina's magic as she always had been. 

“Every time, my darling.” She finished for her only to be pulled down into an impossibility tight hug that made her laugh - an easy, happy sound that Sylvanas had heard far too infrequently over the past few years. 

“There is so little I can do for you...and so much that you do for me.” Sylvanas murmured.

“To call the things you do for me ‘little’ is a tragic short-selling.” She lifted her head as her lover's hold on her gradually loosened and smiled at her slyly enough that it distracted her from her worries. “Would you like to taste yourself on my lips as well, then, lover?” 

“I...I never thought to ask if it was…”

“It's still lovely, I assure you.” Jaina purred as stroked some of the elven woman's hair away from her face, her thigh already applying gentle pressure to her lover’s as yet unattended body in a way that drew a faint nod from her as her chest arched off the bed towards her. “For someone who likes to tease so much you certainly act as though you’ve been missing me just as much as I have you.”

“Jaina, please…” 

Now there was something she would never have enough of.

 

"When We Were Young"  
Adele

Everybody loves the things you do  
From the way you talk to the way you move  
Everybody here is watching you  
'Cause you feel like home  
You're like a dream come true

But if by chance you're here alone  
Can I have a moment before I go?  
'Cause I've been by myself all night long  
Hoping you're someone I used to know

You look like a movie  
You sound like a song  
My God, this reminds me  
Of when we were young

Let me photograph you in this light  
In case it is the last time  
That we might be exactly like we were  
Before we realized  
We were sad of getting old  
It made us restless  
It was just like a movie  
It was just like a song

I was so scared to face my fears  
Nobody told me that you'd be here  
And I swear you moved overseas  
That's what you said, when you left me

You still look like a movie  
You still sound like a song  
My God, this reminds me  
Of when we were young  
It's hard to admit that  
Everything just takes me back  
To when you were there  
To when you were there  
And a part of me keeps holding on  
Just in case it hasn't gone  
I guess I still care  
Do you still care?

It was just like a movie  
It was just like a song  
My God, this reminds me  
Of when we were young

Let me photograph you in this light  
In case it is the last time  
That we might be exactly like we were  
Before we realized  
We were sad of getting old  
It made us restless  
Oh I'm so mad I'm getting old  
It makes me reckless  
It was just like a movie  
It was just like a song  
When we were young


	14. Daughter Of The Sea

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

Sylvanas lay in a daze as Jaina looked over her long, lithe body still tangled in the sheets of the bed they’d shared countless times. Eerie grey dawn-light filtered through the haze of the ghost lands, though it didn’t break the spell of the rooms. The soft, amber glow they had contained before the village’s fall.

Eventually the Warchief’s eyes opened and she looked over at her lover, though she didn’t move. 

“What are you thinking about, my beautiful one?” Jaina asked in a murmur, reaching out to cover Sylvanas’s hand on her stomach with her own. 

“What you said last time.” She responded quietly, twining their fingers together. “And how I still don’t understand how you’ve stayed for all these years - how you’ve never stopped loving me.”

Jaina leaned in and they shared a slow, lingering kiss - a smoldering remnant of the passion that had burned between them through the night. “Loving you has been my life’s greatest challenge...and triumph. And as for what I said last time - I would do this for you. For us. But not against your will.”

“Will it be dangerous for you?” Sylvanas asked against her lips, brushing the tip of her nose against Jaina’s and turning on her side to lay against her. 

Jaina rested her head down on the pillow they shared and shut her eyes for a moment before finally answering. “Yes.” She admitted quietly, watching as worry filled her lover’s eyes. “But I fear we are running out of time...I feel something terrible coming. And you know as well as I that once the wheels of war begin turning they are not so easily stopped.”

Sylvanas looked almost pensive for a moment, lowering her gaze to their joined hands. “What if I lose you?” She finally asked - her voice choked and barely audible. 

“You won’t. But if I don’t do this...I might lose you. And a world without you in it is a world I cannot exist in.” 

Sylvanas swallowed thickly and nodded, bringing Jaina’s hand to her lips to kiss it before she tucked it beneath her own chin. That was something she could understand all too well. 

She finally relented, helping the mage move her closer as she felt the warmth of her arms around her. “I’m tired.” She admitted, and the pained look that crossed her features caused Jaina to hold onto her more tightly. The mage knew she didn’t need sleep. Knew those words were meant more deeply than that. She also knew how much it cost her to admit that. 

“Then let me do what I need to do.” Jaina murmured, slowly turning onto her back to pull her lover against her chest where she knew she liked to be. “And you can rest every night in my arms and wake in them every morning. Everything that we dreamt will fall into place. I know we can make it so.”

Sylvanas shut her eyes and stroked slowly along her lover’s side. “All of it?” She asked quietly. “Knowing how terrible this world can truly be...you would still…” 

Jaina pressed her fingertips against Sylvanas’s lips and then held her head against her chest. “This world will never be altogether terrible. At least not with you at my side. And if we can fix things...the things that led up to you being taken from me...everything will be worthwhile.” 

“When do you mean to do this, then?” The Warchief asked without looking at her - keeping her eyes shut against the thoughts that raced through her mind to try and slow the spinning of her head. 

“I could be ready within the week.”

Sylvanas turned her face against Jaina’s chest and tried to hide the panic rising in her chest - sending chills along her scalp. “And what will happen to me, here? If you succeed...I…” 

Jaina sat up slowly and pulled Sylvanas into her lap and her arms were back around her almost instantly as realization dawned on her. “You’ve thought I meant to leave you here.” She whispered, pressing a series of kisses to the side of her face. “I had the power to do that long ago. Sylvanas, I’m taking us both back.”

A shuddering breath left the Warchief as everything fell into place for her finally and she embraced her lover almost frantically, leaning against her as her strong, slender shoulders shook beneath Jaina’s hands. 

“Oh, my love, I’m sorry.” Jaina whispered, stroking her back soothingly as tears stung her own eyes. She knew how literally Sylvanas sometimes took things now - how darkly tinged her every thought was. “I would never. I would never abandon you.”

“I thought...I thought it would be better if you did and it just...made sense. It made sense that you would want me how I was and not how I am. You wouldn’t have to look at me and see the things I’ve had to do…” She trailed off and Jaina noticed she’d begun shivering and carefully laid them both down, pressing her warmth over her lover’s cold, shaking body and holding both her hands between them. 

“You’ve shown me time and again that you were wrong when you told me the Banshee is who you are. I’ve watched you struggle to learn for years - how to touch me again without hurting me, how to control your anger. Even how to speak to me. How could I not bring you with me? To allow you to again know what it’s like to not have to fight against something in your nature to be with me who you always have been inside?”

Sylvanas shook her head as she smiled through tears that had barely managed to slip from her eyes even with Jaina’s magic sustaining them - albeit unintentionally. “Thank you. Thank you.” She repeated herself until her voice was barely a whisper against the mage’s shoulder and Jaina held onto her - grounding her in reality as she always had. 

“You’ll go, then?” Jaina asked after Sylvanas seemed to calm somewhat. 

“I would follow you to the end of time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina returned her lover’s gentle kiss as she opened a portal for her, smiling as the Warchief pressed their foreheads together. “Soon, then?” Sylvanas asked as she pulled back and took a step towards it.

“Yes, my love.” 

As Sylvanas’s hands slipped from hers she looked over her shoulder at the portal and her brow furrowed as the images beyond rippled when her lover passed through it as she turned. “No.” Jaina breathed, moving quickly to step after her only to find the portal gone, having been shut from the other side.

The smile faded from Sylvanas’s face as she looked around herself, her chest rising sharply. 

“My Queen...I am sorry…” Warren rasped from where he was on his knees in front of Nathanos. He didn’t look like he’d be able to stand even if he wanted to. 

It looked like he’d single-handedly taken on half an army before he’d been subdued. 

“You see?” Nathanos’s voice boomed throughout the room and her gaze fell on all its occupants in turn. First her would-be Champion, then Baine, then Lor'themar who looked deeply conflicted but otherwise made no move to protest. Good. He would keep their people safe. Keep their position in the Horde secure. A fine leader. 

“Mm, I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes.”

She turned her head slightly towards the low rumble of Saurfang’s voice as he walked around her to look at her. “And you would have _me_ hunted down as a traitor.”

“She must be dealt with. As though her actions already haven’t caused this Horde enough loss - she now colludes with our enemy. ” Nathanos tried to force valiance into his voice to an end that made Sylvanas feel even more ill than she already did.

Baine snorted in irritation and stamped one of his hooves where he stood. “Enough, Blightcaller. We are not savages. I would have expected more from someone who presents himself as such a _gentleman_. There may be reason enough for this. Your eagerness is troubling.” His eyes turned to Sylvanas and there was a steadiness in them. “Would you consent to being held while we consider our next course of action, then, Windrunner?”

She could already feel guards approaching at her back as a sharp breath left her and she leveled her gaze on the Tauren Chieftain. There was something in her eyes he scarcely recognized. “I would.” Her voice was steady and calm. “If you would agree to be the first to discuss the matter at hand with me.” 

“So be it.” Baine responded and watched as she allowed herself to be led from the room. He knew she likely could have escaped. Possibly even killed or at the very least wounded most of them. And his thoughts traveled to a time she had come to him in regards to Theramore. And then to the Mage they had all seen on the other side of the portal. The look of shock on her face. Jaina had always been a friend to him. Always stood for the same ideals…

“No.” He grunted as the guards made to lead her out the front of the war room. “The back. A spectacle is the last thing we need.” 

No one seemed to disagree and Baine watched as she was led out - his eyes following hers as they flashed towards a rose that lay near the edge of her desk and back towards him almost beseechingly - so quickly that no one else noticed. As the occupants of the small room began to file out Saurfang walked up to him and grasped his forearm before patting his shoulder. “Together we will restore glory to this Horde.” 

Baine looked at the orc for a moment before grasping his arm in return. “Let us be sure we do so honorably then, Orc. Watch Blightcaller while I try to get to the bottom of this. That one has less honor than my left hoof.” 

Saurfang nodded grimly and took his leave as Baine picked up the rose in his hand - careful not to hold it too tightly as he looked down at it. 

Jaina looked at him as he picked it up - her hand trembling faintly as she held the scrying stone it was linked to. She could have spoken to him if she wished - and she would have if she knew for certain he was the only one that would hear. And then everything in the stone went dark as he slipped the flower into his belt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baine’s eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness of the unfamiliar hallways that seemed to him more like tunnels and even so he followed the tracks easily until he found himself in front of the Banshee Queen’s cell. “Leave us.” He grumbled at the guards - his tail flicking in irritation as they hesitated before obeying.

“Brave little Chieftain.” Sylvanas murmured from the darkness of her cell, slowly turning her gaze to him from where she sat. She watched him silently as he pulled a stool over and sat down in front of her cell door, pulling the rose from his belt and holding it in his hands as he looked from the flower to Sylvanas. 

“When I was a boy my father taught me about all the peoples of our world.” He cleared his throat and shifted his weight slightly, the stool beneath him creaking in protest even against such a small movement. “I found the tales of the Elves some of the hardest to believe. Farstriders, he called them. And of the single woman that led an entire army - fearsome and almost undefeatable. It is easy for some of my Horde brethren to disregard the past...but my people value it above almost all else.”

He managed to slip his hand through the bars with a bit of effort and held the rose in his palm - dwarfed in the sheer size of it, staying more still than most would assume him capable of as Sylvanas walked over to him slowly and took it from him, watching as it seemed to come to life for a moment in response to her touch - arcane energy flickering through the veins in the dark petals. 

“Did she give that to you?” He asked quietly as he pulled his hand back and she drew it close to herself, eyes narrowed as she turned her attention back to him. 

“Hrm. No matter.” He continued as he stood. “I would not put a friend in danger by knowing things I ought not to.” 

He huffed in frustration as he looked around, ears flicking slightly against his horns as he listened carefully for a long while and then wrapped one of his hands around the bars of her cell. “I have never been able to repay the debt I and my people owe her. If she comes for you...she best do it soon.”

Sylvanas was stunned into silence as he turned and walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Jaina, whatever it is you think you are doing...I cannot allow it.”

Jaina turned to face Modera slowly as she continued the masking spell she’d been placing over the focusing iris, sliding the shrunken artifact into the pouch at her belt when she finished and watching as her old friend faltered upon seeing her. 

“I ask not for you to allow it. You know as well as I do that I will leave here with what I want either way.”

Modera lowered her eyes and tightened her grip on her staff as Jaina approached her. “Have you alerted the Council, then?” Jaina asked - her voice even in a way that almost made the older mage nervous. 

“...No.”

“Modera...I would spare not only my pain and hers...but the lives of so many if you would but allow me the chance to succeed.” 

“You ask me to stand idly by and let you destroy yourself.” There was sorrow in Modera’s voice and Jaina rested a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to speak to her in a gentle tone she rarely used with anyone anymore.

“Ask yourself...would I destroy her, as well? Would I do anything that would even remotely endanger her life?” 

Modera looked up at her again as though the answer she’d gotten hit her with actual physical force. 

“What else do you need, then, child?” The older mage asked in a hushed voice. 

“Only that you keep the council distracted for a while longer. The rest...I can handle.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas stared up at the dirt roof of her cell as she held Jaina’s gift against her chest, grasping the stem tightly and doing her best to stay put. She knew her lover would come - and she knew if she attempted to escape she would only put her in more danger. She ignored the sound of approaching footsteps - recognizing their owner easily, and what sounded like a set of guards at his side but sat up quickly as she heard another sound along with them. She winced as Warren’s decaying body made solid contact with the bars of her cell and stood up quickly to check on him.

“It’s...fine, My Queen.” He grumbled from the dirt, heaving a sigh and brushing himself off as he stood only to find his feet swept out from under him. “I prefer it here, actually.” He muttered up at Nathanos. 

“Enough, _Marris_.” Sylvanas growled as she approached them, the glow of her eyes intensifying. “I should have left you on your farm with the _swine_. You’d have been more comfortable there.” She spat, grasping her cell bars and rattling them with such intensity some of the mortar holding them in crumbled and fell between them. 

“You disappoint me, My Queen.” He murmured silkily, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the side slightly. “It’s almost as though you’ve given up. Two days and not so much as a peep out of you. I’d have thought you’d have shown your true colors for me by now. It’s really hampering my plans, you know. I thought, perhaps, you could use some motivation.” 

She watched with her teeth bared as he reached for a torch nearby and his attention shifted to the undead man on the ground at his feet. 

“Are you finally going to kill me, then, Ranger-Lord?” Warren asked - his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Your attempts at wit have me further in the grave than usual so it shouldn’t take much.”

But the Warchief, as familiar with him as she was, could sense the fear in him. “Nathanos, stop. This instant.”

His eyes glinted in the torchlight as he held it dangerously close to Warren’s tattered clothing and looked up at her. “Beg for him. For my mercy. And I may yet show you some as well.” The guards moved closer and the torchlight fell on them. She could sense the Holy energy even from as far away as she was 

And then all at once any light in the room died entirely - including the torch in Nathanos’s hand. And even she noticed how cool it got. 

Her eyesight allowed her to see him as he backed away from the bars and looked around. His unspoken question was answered soon enough as the hum of a familiar song met her ears - though it seemed to come from everywhere all at once. 

“What is that god-awful noise?!” Nathanos demanded into the darkness. Sylvanas merely leaned her forehead against the bars and smiled softly. 

“Her father used to sing it to her when she was a girl.” She murmured quietly. “And her to me when nothing else would soothe me.” 

“You would bring your wench _here_?!” The panic rising beneath the anger in his voice was blatantly obvious even to the priests that had accompanied him and they immediately began to slip away from him.

“ _You_ brought her here, Nathanos.” She corrected, her teeth glinting slightly as her smirk turned into a truly wicked grin for just a moment. He lunged at her, suddenly, grasping the front of her armor and letting out a snarl as he slammed her forward into the bars closer to him. And just as suddenly as it had begun the humming stopped.

“We had a deal, Blightcaller. You were not to touch what belongs to me.” 

The former Ranger-Lord looked around for the disembodied voice then down at his own hands and released her, shaking his head slightly. “No, I…”

“What a shame.” The Banshee Queen whispered as she took a step back, the screams of the two priests that had tried to make a break for it echoing down the tunnels in the distance despite the fact that they’d run in separate directions. 

“Sylvanas...Please…”

“Oh, you sound pitiful. But I’m afraid it isn’t up to me, anymore.” 

He found himself forced against the bars suddenly - a sharp pain spreading from the center of his back by whatever held him. “She’s right, you know.” 

Nathanos slowly raised his hands as he heard Jaina’s dry, venomous comment against his ear - felt the tip of her staff begin to pierce his back. “Say you’re sorry.” She breathed, digging the staff further into him to force him down onto his knees. “Apologize to your _Queen_ and I may yet let you live.” 

Jaina’s voice held a level of malice Sylvanas had heard very few times. And it spoke to the darkness within herself in a way that had her pacing slowly within her cell as she looked down at Nathanos. There was no sympathy to be found on her face as he looked up at her pleadingly. She was more akin to a prowling wolf than a person, now. Than someone who would see reason even if there was any to be seen. 

“Sylvanas...forgive me...after all these years, I only…”

And with a sound that would have sickened anyone else Jaina drove her staff through the front of his chest in a powerful downstroke. 

The shock on his face outweighed the pain that had been there before and Sylvanas found she couldn’t take her heated gaze off of her lover even as wound, flesh, and clothing alike began to crack with frost. 

“Proudmoore...you…”

“I lied.”

Daughter of the Sea

“Beware, beware the Daughter of the Sea.”  
“Beware,” I heard him cry.  
His words carried upon the ocean breeze,  
As he sank beneath the tide.

Those blood-soaked shores of Kalimdor,  
Where sailors fought and died.  
The Admiral fell at Theramore,  
Because she left his side.

Why this? Why this, oh Daughter of the Sea?  
Why this? Did you forget your seaside days?  
Always the pride of our nation’s eyes,  
How could she go astray?

When she did flee across the ocean deep,  
The Admiral followed west.  
What else but sail to save a daughter’s life,  
And pray she still drew breath?

But there he found upon those distant shores,  
Enemies ’pon the rise!  
But when he faced those savage foes  
His daughter stood aside.

And buried deep beneath the waves,  
Betrayed by family.  
To his nation, with his last breath, cried,  
“Beware the Daughter of the Sea.”

I heard, I heard, across a moonlit sea,  
The old voice warning me,  
“Beware, beware the Daughter of the Sea,”  
“Beware, beware…”  
… of me.


	15. River

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

“Jaina…” Sylvanas murmured in a low tone as she watched the way the mage’s hands trembled around her staff even when there was nothing left of the former Ranger-Lord but shattered ice.

Oh, but to see that blood-lust in her glowing eyes...it made her breath catch in her throat for a moment before she slipped her hands through the bars that separated them and stroked either side of her face. This woman had just killed for her. Gods, if they were in a less precarious situation… 

Jaina looked up at her lover’s gentle urging, her jaw clenched so tightly it was physically painful. 

“I know.”

The slight tremor of suppressed longing in Sylvanas’s voice seemed to break through to her and she lifted her staff from the remnants it was still buried in. She could almost feel the heat between them - drawing her towards her beloved in the most carnal of ways. 

“Uhm...I hate to interrupt. Truly. But I think it’s best if the two of you...explore whatever this is elsewhere, or…perhaps run?” Warren pulled himself up against a nearby wall and limped towards them, coming between them to unlock the cell door with the keys he'd slipped from Nathanos’s coat pocket. 

Even as Jaina took a step back Sylvanas moved closer, her eyes following the mage’s every movement as the darkness of her thoughts fed off the mere sight of her. Oh, the things they could do together with the rage still emanating from her. The power. Kingdoms would crumble at their feet. Kings would kneel before them. And she would show them the same mercy they had shown her. She shut her eyes tightly for a moment in an attempt to clear her head as the door to her cell swung open but she made no move to leave.

Jaina drew in a slow, steady breath and the glow in her eyes began to dim as she looked over at Sylvanas and realized how she was affecting her. “Warren, go.” She ordered quietly. “Don’t allow yourself to be seen.” 

He looked conflicted for a moment as he looked from Jaina to his Queen - watching worriedly as she stepped further back into the cell he’d just released her from. 

“We could have _everything_.”

Even he barely recognized the voice that hissed from the darkness of the cell and as Jaina approached he looked up at her, almost surprised as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s best if you leave. I’ll take care of her.” 

Warren made a quiet sound of displeasure. “And what about you?” He asked in as low a voice as he could manage - unaware there wasn’t really much Sylvanas was actually listening to right now. 

“Are you in any shape to deal with it or have I not proven I can handle her?”

“Just...see that you both make it out of here, Proudmoore.” 

“Jaina.”

Warren looked up at her again and sighed as he turned to walk away. “Jaina, then.” 

She turned her attention gradually towards the visibly agitated Warchief and made her way to her slowly - every step calm and deliberate. “Shut it down, Sylvanas.” She breathed soothingly, reaching up to touch her only to find her forearm gripped firmly through the supple leather of her shirt. 

“Do you not feel it?” Sylvanas’s response caused the skin along the back of her neck to prickle and she kept her gaze steady against the fire that threatened to overtake her entirely. There was an almost seductive quality in her voice. But there was as much danger nestled in that velvety echo as there was in the hand that came to rest against the front of her throat. 

“I’m sorry. I should have controlled myself. We don’t have time, my darling. Please.” 

She felt relief as the hand around her arm began to lower but instead of letting her go Sylvanas drew her arm behind her back to further subdue her, pulling her close and leaning down slowly. 

Jaina’s eyes fluttered shut and her chest rose as she felt cool flesh against the skin of her cheek. “Sylvanas, don’t.” She whispered as, for the first time in many years, she almost began to feel nervous in her lover’s presence. She hadn’t even noticed they’d been moving until her back hit the wall behind her. 

“We could live in a world where you wouldn’t have to lie to yourself about who I am any longer. About what you’re capable of.” She breathed against Jaina’s ear. “Nothing would stop us. No more running. No more hiding like vermin.” Her lips moved, then, to the corner of the younger woman’s jaw in a slow kiss that Jaina recognized easily after so long as an attempt at persuasion. 

Instead of struggling as she might have when she was younger she let her staff fall to the floor and wrapped her free arm around the taller woman’s neck tightly. “We will have our world, Sylvanas. And in it I’ll give you everything you want. But that world isn’t here. Not now. Not for either of us.” 

The Warchief tensed slightly as she felt Jaina move but didn’t stop her from doing it. Jaina could almost feel the war her beloved was waging against herself as she fell silent and stayed still for her even as she felt the hardness of her armored thigh pressing between her legs and fought against any reaction her body might have had. 

She scarcely flinched when the leather-padded palm of the elven woman’s hand made such forceful contact with the wall beside her she could hear it crack beneath the force. Then her lover’s head fell against her shoulder and she turned her own slightly. “That’s it. Let it go.” She whispered. She stroked along Sylvanas’s neck through the hood of her cloak - feeling how tense the muscles there were until finally, the Warchief gave her an almost imperceptible nod without even lifting her head and her hand slipped slowly from the mage’s throat. 

She waited with bated breath as Sylvanas fought to gain some semblance of control over herself - watched as her hands lingered over her body, almost pulling at her clothes every now and then, brushing various buckles and ties. It hurt her to see her lover this way more than it scared her. 

A sharp gasp left her lips as the unforgiving armor settled further between her legs and she reached down to press her hand against Sylvanas’s hip.“Whatever you need from me is yours to take. But not here. Not here.” 

As the pressure between her thighs lessened she rested a hand against the leather mid-plate of her lover’s armor and reached for her staff. The rising and falling of the ornate armor adorning Sylvanas’s chest began to quicken when she moved and she stood upright quickly as she began casting, staring, undaunted, into the hungering, lost gaze trained on her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You don’t have anything to be ashamed of.” Jaina whispered as she reached out and stroked along her lover’s bare back, slowly propping herself up to shift closer to where she sat facing away from her on the edge of the bed in the cabin they’d spent so many nights in such a short time ago. Her clothing was scattered throughout the room, some of it torn but mended easily enough, along with Sylvanas’s armor and a few pieces of overturned furniture. It looked as though a storm had passed through and now they weathered the calm of its’ breaking together.

Sylvanas didn’t move - holding her head in her hands with her elbows on her knees. She could still hear Jaina’s pained cries in her ears - still feel the way she’d clung to her desperately. Mere flashes of memory of something that had just happened. Images of her teeth bared and gritted and the soft silver-blue of her eyes hidden behind tightly shut lids. “Why didn’t you stop me?” She asked - sounding so despondent it made the mage sit up behind her, albeit gingerly, and reach up to grasp her shoulder. 

Jaina pulled her into the warm haven of her arms and Sylvanas turned towards her, hair still hanging in her eyes that she hadn’t bothered to pull out of the way, and sank into her lover’s forgiving embrace. “If I had wanted to stop you, I would have.” Jaina whispered, running her fingers through the sullen woman’s hair and kissing the top of her head. “Maybe we both needed it.”

“Did you?” Sylvanas asked as she lifted her head to look into Jaina’s eyes - her brow furrowed slightly. There was a tinge of almost accusatory doubt in her expression and Jaina sighed and shook her head as she gradually untangled herself and pressed Sylvanas down into the bed. “I’ll take you however I can get you.” She finally responded before brushing her lips against her forehead. “It’ll all be over soon.” She whispered, the warmth of her breath easing some of the tension currently plaguing her lover’s body. “We’ll make things right, Sylvanas, I swear to you. Rest for me. I need to work on some things.” 

She paused as Sylvanas reached for her and looked back down at her - at the concern etched in her features. “I’m okay.” Her smile was soft and genuine as she took her outstretched hand and pressed it over her chest before kissing it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina looked up from her work as she felt a fire-warmed robe slide around her shoulders - the fatigue she felt plain on her face when she found Slyvanas’s eyes and all the warmth and love that had been missing from them earlier. “Are they going to find us here?” The Warchief asked quietly as she leaned over her to place a mug of steaming, fragrant tea and a packet of pain powder next to the parchments scattered across her workspace.

“Not before we’re already gone.” She reassured her, leaning back as her lover’s hands slid down her body to close the robe and tie it before she tilted her head at the older woman’s urging and felt her face pressed against her.

“What is it, my darling?” Jaina asked softly, reaching up to toy lightly with one of her ears. 

“Jaina, I’m terrified.” She breathed as her arms wrapped around the front of the mage’s body tightly. 

“Come here.” She responded with a firmness in her voice that caused Sylvanas to obey and she found herself straddling her lover’s lap. “Tell me what you’re afraid of.” 

She mulled the question over in her mind for a while - avoiding Jaina’s gaze until the mage drew her chin up found her eyes with her own. “Tell me.” 

“Aside from the obvious? Aside from the fact that you’re doing something that could kill you even though you refuse to admit it?” 

“Yes. Aside from that.” Jaina responded firmly. 

“What if I take this with me?” 

Instead of reassuring her immediately as she was so used to doing Jaina released her chin and trailed the backs of her fingers down along her chest to rest against her stomach, glancing down at the scar marring it before she traced it slowly, watching as toned muscle tensed beneath her touch. She remembered a time Sylvanas wouldn’t let her near it. “Then I’ll love you through it. As I always have.” 

“This is all I know how to be.” She protested - though some of the strain had gone from her voice. “Even with you. Even after so long, I-”

“You did nothing wrong. And If I’d asked you to stop you would have. You know that. Sylvanas, love...you lost a big part of yourself all those years ago. And if you’ve been able to come so far with what you have left I know we’ll be alright.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas couldn’t help the thick feeling of emotion at the back of her throat as she watched Jaina look over Boralus Harbor at her side. She was beautiful, standing there with the sea air blowing loose strands of hair away from her face. And her eyes. Eyes that matched the tides battering the stalwart cliffs below. Wise far beyond their years.

She found herself wondering what life could have been like for her had she been allowed the peace she deserved when she fell. She’d found her family, again. Regained control of her homeland and her people. She’d done so much in so few years...experienced so much pain. Much of it because of her. Gods, she loved this woman. So much so that the ache of it never really subsided. 

The glint of her pendant in the light of the setting sun drew Sylvanas’s attention away from her wandering thoughts as she removed it and cast it into the sea without so much as a downward glance before she could even make a move to stop her. But when she turned to face her where Sylvanas had expected to find remorse or loss on her face she saw nothing but serene conviction as the seas began to churn angrily below. 

“Hold onto me, my love.” Her voice radiated with terrible power and as she drove her staff into the very stone they stood upon her eyes became almost blinding. “Do you trust me?” She asked as she produced the iris from the pouch at her hip and Sylvanas released a long sigh and shut her eyes. “With everything in me.”

“Then let’s try this again.”

 

"River"  
Emeli Sandé

If you’re looking for the big adventure  
And gold is all that’s on your mind  
If all you wants someone to take your picture  
Then I won’t waste your time

See maybe I’m too quiet for you  
You’ve probably never noticed me  
But if you’re too big to follow rivers  
How you ever gonna find the sea?

So follow me, I’ll be your river, river  
I’ll do the running for you  
Follow me, I’ll be your river, river  
I’ll move the mountains for you  
Follow me, I’ll be your river, river  
I’m here to keep you floating  
Follow me, I’ll be your river, river  
River, river

If all you want are answers to your questions  
And you can’t seem to find no love for free  
If you’re looking for the right direction, then darling look for me  
See I can make the load much lighter, I just need you to confide in me  
But if you’re too proud to follow rivers, how you ever gonna find the sea?

Wherever you’re standing, I will be by your side  
Through the good, through the bad, I’ll never be hard to find  
Said wherever you’re standing I will be by your side  
Through the good, through the bad, I’ll never be hard to find

Wherever you’re standing, I will be by your side  
Through the good, through the bad, I’ll never be hard to find


	16. Bliss - An Interlude

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

“You aren’t going anywhere, Jaina.” Sylvanas muttered darkly as she paced across the room to unclasp her cloak and throw it on her desk. She rolled her shoulders and turned to look at the young woman who was still standing near the door looking altogether shocked - an expression which quickly turned to anger.

It had been nearly a year since the war. And months since Jaina had first come to her after the re-taking of her city. Every now and then they would touch. Occasionally she would even allow Jaina to hold her and do the same for her in return. But anything else had been nearly impossible and the frustration had built within her so that she could barely stand it. 

“Why, pray tell, would I stay here, Sylvanas?” She demanded, her fists clenched at her sides as she tried to recover from the sting of yet another of the countless rejections she’d endured. The Banshee Queen turned to look at her and the scowl she wore only served to further anger Jaina. 

The mage had begun to lose the fear she’d felt towards her in the beginning. And it showed. And gods did it piss her off. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” She demanded, looking around. “Because. Because I want you to.” 

“Why?” Jaina snapped back, tossing her staff to the side in a way that caused a clatter to echo in the room in place of the answer she knew Sylvanas wouldn’t give her. “ _Why_ , Sylvanas? I leave my duties - my people - my whole world behind to come to you and you won’t even _touch_ me half the time. It isn’t like you don’t want it. You _need_ it. We were together for years. You think I don’t see the way you look at me? You think it’s different, somehow? That you can hide behind this mask - this world you’ve built around yourself? Not from me. I’m tired of playing your game. And I’m leaving.” 

She turned to pick up her staff and face the door and before she could crack it more than an inch it slammed shut with a powerful finality. “You think this is a game?” Sylvanas demanded quietly - the anger and hurt just barely breaking the surface of her voice. “I don’t know how hard to kiss you. I don’t remember what your lips feel like against mine. I don’t know how to not _break_ you. I. Can’t. Feel. Any of it.” 

Jaina found herself at a loss for words as she tried to turn only to find a firm hand on her shoulder just before she was pushed into the door by a knee at the small of her back. Her breathing was quick and labored as she listened to the sound of Sylvanas unbuckling her gloves and tossing them to the floor. 

She winced when she was pulled back by a fistful of her hair so she could just barely see Sylvanas out of the corner of her eye. She hadn’t realized just how strong she was now and she reached for the hand holding onto her hair so tightly. “Don’t.” Sylvanas spat. “Don’t pretend I didn’t see the look on your face in Dalaran that day when you felt my skin. The way you looked at your hand like you’d fallen into a pile of filth.” 

“Sylvanas...I’m so sorry.” Her voice trembled faintly and the pain radiating from her scalp immediately lessened as Sylvanas dragged her legs apart with a boot against her ankle. 

“Is this what you want?” The fallen High Elf’s voice was a whisper in her ear and her eyes fell shut as she shook her head weakly but even as she did she felt an icy hand running up her inner leg beneath her robes and her head fell forward against the door. 

“Hm?” She cupped the mage in her hand and held her still as she jerked slightly in response - physically shaken by even that slight stimulation. Sylvanas paused. She couldn’t remember Jaina having been so sensitive since their first few times together. Had she not taken a lover in all this time? 

Her head tilted slightly and she listened to the way the mage’s breath hitched in her throat as she barely parted her with her fingertips to expose her. She could tell the younger woman was wet as her finger slipped inside her. Could tell there was resistance there by the way the muscles in the slender shoulder she held tensed. 

“Turn around.” She breathed suddenly, shifting back only slightly as Jaina did just that and looked up at her, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. This time when she found herself backed against the door it was by the impact of a kiss she had long stopped hoping for - bruising and forceful. And she returned every bit of what she got even as she carefully kept her hands away lest she wound her further. 

“Touch me.” Sylvanas gasped out as she broke the kiss and lifted Jaina against her hips roughly, gripping onto her thighs and biting along the side of her jaw towards her ear. 

“Sylvanas, I…” Jaina whimpered, her hands trembling as they hovered over the Banshee Queen’s shoulders. Oh, how she wanted to.

“I don’t care. Just fucking touch me.” 

Almost immediately her fingers tangled in Sylvanas’s long, pale hair and she tugged her back to her mouth, guiding her into the kiss this time - showing her what she couldn’t make her feel with her lips and her tongue until a strong rock of the other woman’s hips against her own made her gasp for air. 

“Tell me you need me.” Sylvanas panted against her cheek as she slowly allowed her to lower one of her legs from her arms. 

Jaina swallowed against the dryness of her mouth and nodded, pulling Sylvanas’s head back so she could look into her eyes. “I do. I swear it. I want you. I need you. All of you.” 

There was little else she could do but hold on as Sylvanas wasted no time in obliging her, her arms wrapped tightly around strong shoulders that were, for once, blissfully free of the armor they were usually adorned with. 

“Yes…” She gasped out as she felt another finger beside the first, stretching her and easing the painful, maddening ache within her only to replace it with an entirely new one as they began moving. If she hadn’t already known how badly Sylvanas wanted this she certainly did now. The pace her lover set was punishing in a way it had rarely been before and as she tried to pull away it slowed suddenly. “Talk to me.” Sylvanas murmured as she rested her head against Jaina’s shoulder and her movements became slightly more fluid and less frantic. “Please.”

“You’re doing so well.” She breathed as she held onto the back of her lover’s neck and turned her head to kiss the side of it. “Mmh...a little harder…” And gradually they fell into a rhythm that was as natural as ever it had been - Jaina’s hips working against Sylvanas’s hand as she kept her ear pressed close to Jaina’s lips - listening carefully for any sign of real pain. ‘S...stop fretting…” Jaina whispered, stroking the skin behind her ear with her thumb. “You remember. It’s still there.” 

As she felt herself start tightening around Sylvanas’s fingers her breathing became more irregular and her hips stilled as she just took what her lover was giving her with a long, drawn out moan that was broken with each firm stroke.

“Are you…”

“I want you to feel it.” Jaina’s voice was muddled and she could barely understand her own words. 

“I’m sor-”

“I want you to _feel_ it when you make me come.” 

Sylvanas’s legs almost buckled as those words became reality. As she could feel the heat surrounding her fingers and dripping down her hand - could feel how hard Jaina’s fingertips pressed into her neck and the way the muscles in the thigh resting against her forearm quivered. 

She collapsed to the floor on her knees with her fingers still buried deep inside her lover in her lap and in her shocked state she began to pull them out only to find Jaina’s hand keeping them firmly in place. 

“Not yet.” Jaina gasped as she leaned back against the door. 

And Sylvanas watched her face - watched as pure ecstasy turned to satiation and _felt_ the ebb and flow of her orgasm in the tight, wet heat her fingers were buried in. 

As soon as she was able Jaina finally guided her lover’s hand away and tugged her close, holding her tightly as they both trembled in one another’s arms. “You’re so warm.” She whispered. “Jaina...you feel so good…I’d forgotten...I’m so sorry...” 

“Shh.” The mage, while thoroughly worn out, ran her fingertips along her lover’s delicate, defined jawline and watched as it made her shiver. “You still like that.” She murmured, replacing her fingertips with her lips and making her way up towards her ear as Sylvanas pressed both her hands on either side of Jaina against the door and her head fell which allowed her to drag her lips lightly along the underside of the length of her ear. 

“Oh, fuck.” 

“Mm, and that, too, I gather.” 

Sylvanas turned her head away slightly as though it pained her as she moved higher towards its pointed tip and Jaina reached back to take one of her hands from against the door followed by the other so the fallen elf would have no choice but to come to rest against her. “Is it too much for you right now?” She asked as Sylvanas allowed herself to relax, albeit slowly. 

Jaina watched her and felt for the spell - pulling some of its strength back into herself. “I’m sorry about Dalaran.” She murmured, drawing her lover’s hair behind her ears. “I’m sorry I didn’t know how badly that hurt you.” 

As she watched Sylvanas open her eyes with her cheek pressed against her chest she realized how difficult a time she was really having - the way her brow furrowed - the way she seemed to be unable to look at her. 

“We don’t have to talk. We can just be.” 

The relief that crossed Sylvanas’s features in response before her eyes shut again was more than enough for her.

Come to me as you sparkle  
I would have you no other way  
Come to me, for the dark grows  
Stronger as we wait  
Forgive me, but I'm drawn to those who  
Let the rapture tear them away  
Come to me, for I made this  
Moment eternity

When you find you are exposed to me

Cover up everything  
Bathe us in bliss that you, you can never touch  
Knowing that everything will fade  
As rise to the rush, oh

I've come to find you electric  
You would draw me no other way  
I've come to live for the lightning  
We generate without restraint  
Forgive me, but I'm drawn to those who  
Share a sin before they embrace  
Come to me, for I made this  
Moment just to your taste

When you find yourself exposed with me, oh

Softly, quickly, give into the sweet persistence  
This is only the beginning  
I would gladly give myself with no resistance  
Were the moment never-ending  
Burning quickly, given to the sweet persistence  
This is only your beginning  
I would gladly give myself with no resistance  
Were the moment never-ending, rise up to the rush now


	17. We Belong

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

Jaina’s eyes opened slowly and the brightness of the sun above whited out her vision in a way that brought the stabbing ache in her head to the forefront of her thoughts and for a while, all she could process was the pain. She clenched her jaw against it as she tried to move and found even sitting up nearly impossible. She had to get it together. Something important...there was something important…

“Sylvanas.” She breathed, shutting her eyes tightly and opening them again as her fingers dug into the earth beneath her and she found the sensation of the soft blades of grass against her fingers odd. Where were her gloves? And as her vision finally focused she looked down at purple and white robes - turning her head to see golden-blonde hair against her own shoulder. “Oh, god.” Her voice was a whisper - but it was frantic. _Sylvanas_. 

She forced herself to roll over on the ground, every muscle in her body trembling with the effort of pushing herself up as she looked around wildly. She couldn’t feel her. Couldn’t feel the darkness that had drawn her in for so long - that she had exuded since the moment she first saw her after her death. 

Her death. Flashes of it burned deeply in her mind, now. But there wasn’t any time for that. 

When she first stood she found herself back on her hands and knees - a process she repeated until she finally managed to get up for longer than a moment or two. Her breathing was shallow and labored as she looked around - at fields that were golden once again - at trees of unrivaled beauty along the line of the clearing. And then, finally, in the distance a crumpled, unmoving body. No. _No._ Not after so much. Not after all they’d been through...this was all for her. 

She dug her staff into the ground and pulled herself forward - step by infuriatingly slow step. Every time she tried to blink forward the pain overwhelmed her before she could even cast. Jaina didn’t know how she’d made it. All she knew was she was on her knees at the back turned towards her and she reached out, resting her fingertips along a gleaming blue and gold pauldron. She pulled at it weakly until her eyes fell on her beloved. “Oh..” She whispered, overwhelmed by the sight. 

Sylvanas clutched tightly at her chest where her heart pounded against it as she felt herself rolled onto her back - tears sliding freely down the sides of her face from eyes that were shut tightly, leaving damp trails along sun-bronzed skin and falling into the long waves of hair that tumbled from the hood of her cloak. And then she opened her eyes and the faint blue-grey glow of them brought with it a reality that crashed into Jaina with a wave-like roar.

“Jaina…” She lifted her hand from her chest and sat up quickly, catching her in her arms as she fell forward. Gods, she looked so young. She couldn’t help but stare for a moment, the dark leather of her gloves contrasting against the pale, soft skin of her face. The faint lines beside her eyes were gone - the sharpness of her features softened in a way that made her heart ache. 

She drew the mage more fully against her and stood with her in her arms, only needing a quick glance around to get her bearings. Yes. She still knew these forests well. As she walked she was surprised at the weight in her arms. Jaina had always been small but for years she hadn’t felt any kind of strain when lifting her. After a few miles, though, sweat began to glisten over her brow and she was thankful for the sight of the waystation she’d been heading for in the distance. She felt a strange twinge of emotion, though, when her horse - grazing at the grass outside it - noticed her presence and huffed at her. He’d always known to find one of these places if he lost his rider. And that was important. Her markings were on his saddle and if she fell someone needed to know - and quickly. 

She heard Jaina groan against her and looked down at her without stopping, leaning her head down to kiss her forehead quickly. “Hang on, my love. Almost there.” 

Jaina woke slowly with a shuddering breath, looking around the small waystation in the dancing light of the fire that warmed the one-room building. It was sparse but cozy and she glanced down to find herself in just her robes with a soft woolen blanket covering her. 

“Ah, Lady Proudmoore.” She gasped in response to the voice - so warm and full of light and life - and turned her attention to her lover kneeling by the fire - smiling softly at her. She’d discarded her uniform and was dressed in just the soft riding leathers she’d always worn beneath it along with a sleeveless linen shirt. No doubt something kept stocked here for passing Rangers. She looked to be cooking something in the pot near the fire and her eyes shifted down towards it. “Just grain porridge, I’m afraid. We hunted well enough that that’s all that was really kept here.”

Jaina moved to get up almost immediately and found Sylvanas rushing across the room towards her, laying her back down firmly. “Don’t overdo it.” She chided in a soft tone, sitting down on the edge of the bed and leaning across her with her hand against the bed at Jaina’s side. “Look at you…” She whispered, reaching up to brush her cheek with her fingertips before concern clouded her features when she saw something akin to shock in Jaina’s eyes. But before she could pull her hand away the mage’s covered it and she turned her head towards it, breathing against her palm and shutting her eyes. 

“What is it, my darling girl?” She asked quietly, just allowing her to the moment she seemed to need. 

“Your skin.” She breathed in response, her voice muffled against her hand. “It’s warm.”

“Of course it is.” Sylvanas cooed. “That's a general rule for most things that are alive unless I’m forgetting something.”

The once-again young mage’s brow furrowed and she smiled, gradually releasing her hand to look up at her. “Are you okay?” She asked as she reached out and rested a hand against her thigh. 

“Getting used to some things...and I’m sure there will be more things to get used to soon enough. But otherwise, I’m just fine. You’re a lot worse off than me and I want you to try and rest a bit more. But first I need you to tell me where we wound up.”

Jaina shut her eyes as she traced through their journey in her mind, feeling Sylvanas’s presence move closer to her as a troubled look came over her. “Whatever it is, don’t dwell. Move past it. And tell me where we are.” 

“You’ve already pushed him back once. Arthas. He won’t return for a while. He’s realized he needs to gather more forces than he anticipated.” Jaina whispered. “You’re traveling to Silvermoon right now to report to Anasterian.” Her eyes opened again and she watched as Sylvanas glanced out the lone window of the structure grimly. “Where he will send for aid that will not come.” Sylvanas finished the words that hadn’t been spoken. 

“Not this time.” Jaina corrected firmly, surprising Sylvanas with the strength in her voice despite her current physical state. “Dar’khan has not yet betrayed you. Not fully. The gate is still impenetrable.”

“I...I would need proof in order to have him arrested…” Jaina was surprised she had already slipped back into the mindset of the General she had been...the General that she was now. 

“I don’t need proof.” She responded, slowly moving to sit up. “I don’t need anything. Report to the King as you would have. I’ll handle the bastard, myself.” 

“Jaina…I’m not overly inclined to let you venture off by yourself to handle one of the strongest mages in Quel’thalas.” 

“After a good night's rest, I will be far more powerful than just one of the strongest mages here. Certainly more powerful than that spoiled, egotistical piece of filth that…” She trailed off as she felt Sylvanas’s hand on her arm, stroking along it gently. “I know. Love, trust me, I know what he took from us. But that’s why we’re here.” 

Jaina nodded and tried her best to steady herself. She’d spent so many years wishing she could meet him face to face. “After I’ve dealt with him I will go to the Council in Dalaran. They _will_ listen. You won’t fight this war alone. Not again. You _won’t_ send me away this time.” 

Sylvanas listened to her calmly before standing and kissing the top of her head. She walked towards the lack-luster dinner she’d prepared them and split it between two wooden bowls. It was strange to see her thinking like this. Actually taking the time to weigh things out in her head instead of acting on impulse or anger. 

“You’re right.” Sylvanas admitted as she placed one of the bowls in front of Jaina on the bed. “In the morning we’ll ride to the nearest village and get you a horse. We split paths before anyone in Silvermoon sees us together and meet once you’ve done what you mean to do. I take it...what we’ve lived...I take it that stays between us.” 

“It must.” Jaina responded as she lifted the bowl into her palm and began eating quietly. Eventually, though, her attention turned to the High Elf seated across from her with her legs folded in front of her and the bowl resting on them otherwise untouched. 

She paused in her own eating and reached out to touch her knee lightly. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Sylvanas nodded faintly and picked up the spoon resting in the bowl with a bit of hesitation. 

“My love we both know you were never the best cook...but you do need to eat.” 

This seemed to break her out of the state she’d fallen into and she laughed quietly, her eyes dancing with amusement as she looked up at Jaina. “You’re an ass, you know that?” 

“Mm. I know. And that was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.” 

Sylvanas’s grin mellowed slightly and she ran her fingertips over Jaina’s hand where it lay against her. “Did you miss it so badly?” She asked, though the insecurity Jaina had gotten so used to wasn’t there beneath the question. 

“Every day for years and years, Sylvanas.” 

“Well...you’re frequently an ass, as I mentioned before. So I suppose you’ll get used to hearing it again.” 

“I suppose I’ll suffer through it, yes.” Jaina couldn’t help the light, warm feeling that settled over her as they both began eating in comfortable silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As exhausted as she was Jaina couldn’t sleep. She just kept staring at the woman in her arms - at the peace on her resting face and the way her back rose and fell slowly and evenly beneath her hand. She’d long since run out of the silent tears that still dampened her face but she smiled as she reached up to caress one of her ears only to find it twitch faintly away from her touch.

“None of that.” Came a sleepy, half-aware voice. “Go to sleep.” 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, shifting in the bed so she could rest her head against her lover’s. “I forgot how light a sleeper you are.” 

“S’okay. After this is all over you can torment them all you like.” 

She found herself in Sylvanas’s arms now instead. And rather firmly, at that. A soft glow made itself known in the dark space between them as her lover opened her eyes enough to see the young woman she held so tightly. “You aren’t going to lose me this time.” She whispered, leaning into her and brushing their lips together slowly. “You have many, many years to look at me all you like.” 

She felt the warmth of Jaina’s trembling exhale of breath and pressed their lips together gradually. The mage responded in kind, relishing how soft her lover’s mouth was as well as the warmth that had long been absent from it as their tongues barely touched now and then. It was Sylvanas who pulled back first and Jaina touched over the flushed skin of her face as she panted quietly. “We really do need to sleep.” She whispered, even as her body cried out for her to continue. As powerful as Jaina’s magic had always been it was nothing compared to this. To truly feeling everything...for it to come naturally for her body to do so. 

“I know.” Jaina responded gently as Sylvanas settled her head back down and she pulled one of her lover’s hands between their chests, stroking over it with her thumb. "I'll see you in the morning."

A soft smile turned the corners of Sylvanas's lips just so. "As many mornings as can fit into the rest of of our lives, dalah'surfal."

  


“We Belong”  
Pat Benatar

Many times I tried to tell you  
Many times I cried alone  
Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone  
Don't want to leave you really  
I've invested too much time to give you up that easy  
To the doubts that complicate your mind  
We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder  
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under  
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better  
We belong, we belong, we belong together  
Maybe it's a sign of weakness when I don't know what to say  
Maybe I just wouldn't know what to do with my strength anyway  
Have we become a habit? Do we distort the facts?  
Now there's no looking forward  
Now there's no turning back  
When you say  
We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder  
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under  
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better  
We belong, we belong, we belong together  
Close your eyes and try to sleep now  
Close your eyes and try to dream  
Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean  
We can't begin to know it, how much we really care  
I hear your voice inside me, I see your face everywhere  
Still you say  
We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder  
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under  
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better  
We belong, we belong, we belong together

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The support and acceptance of this community has been absolutely wonderful and unexpected. I can't thank all of you enough for the warmth and kindness you've all shown me. But thank you for letting me write at you. It means a lot.


	18. You Found Me - An Interlude

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/31672244908/in/datetaken/)

“You’ve been quiet all night, my darling. What is it?” Jaina’s voice was soft and coaxing as she turned away from the fire burning in the hearth to look at her lover across the room.

Sylvanas shook her head faintly against the window her forehead rested against, her eyes shut tightly much to Jaina’s surprise considering she thought she’d been gazing at the waters below. 

Jaina frowned and approached her carefully, reaching out to pull her beloved’s robe back over her shoulder from where it had fallen, but not before pressing a gentle kiss against the exposed skin. “Can you look at me?” She asked, reaching up to rest her fingertips along the far side of her jaw, guiding her head in her direction as though she feared she might shatter if she touched her too hard. 

Sylvanas opened her eyes slowly, gazing down at Jaina as though she’d just realized she was in the same room as her. 

“Tomorrow, my love...I promise you. There may be suffering...life is often suffering. But not like this. Not like what you've endured. Never again.” 

Sylvanas smiled sadly and took Jaina’s hand in her own, kissing along the tips of her fingers as she turned to face her. “I don't fear suffering, Jaina. We are far too intimately acquainted for me to be afraid of it.”

“Then tell me what weighs so heavily on your mind. You've been standing here all night.” She urged quietly. 

“It doesn’t matter. They’re just thoughts. You need rest. I’ll lay with you.” She slid a hand down the younger woman’s back to the small of it and walked her towards the bed but Jaina stopped her before she could pull her down into it. 

“Sylvanas I would rest easier knowing you are at peace with what we mean to do tomorrow.” She sounded more adamant now and Sylvanas knew the tone all too well. She wilted visibly and sighed as Jaina pulled her head in close and kissed beneath her ear. “Now isn’t the time to hide yourself from me.” The mage whispered as she stroked the nape of her neck with her fingertips. “What is it?”

“Alleria.” 

Jaina’s eyes fell shut at the sound of that name on her lover’s lips - at the pain that broke within her voice so quietly, and yet it was deafening to her. She remembered their last exchange all too well. And even as furious as she’d been with her lover it had stung her deeply. She couldn’t imagine what it had done to Sylvanas. 

“Here...now...she wishes me dead. And tomorrow...tomorrow if we succeed she will once again be a memory. Lost to me. Only I’ll know she’s out there. And I’ll know I can’t reach her. And there is a chance we may alter things so drastically that I might never-” 

“What if I could give you one night before it’s all undone?” Jaina interrupted her, causing Sylvanas to pull back and look at her incredulously. 

“Jaina I would never underestimate your abilities but I think that may one thing that’s beyond your control.” 

“Stay here. I’ll just be a while. At least let me try.”

Sylvanas sat down on the edge of the bed then, leaning into Jaina’s hand slightly as it lingered in her hair where it had slipped to. “Will you be safe, at least?”

“I can promise you that much. If anything gets out of hand we will simply leave slightly sooner than expected.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina tightened her grip on her staff as Alleria’s gaze turned to something cold and almost unrecognizable - her mind working quickly as she planned her route of escape. But instead of an outright attack, she was met with biting words.

“You mean to tell me...you have carried on a romantic relationship with that _thing?!_ That murderer?!” She was shocked. Betrayed. Anger. But where she thought there would be shame on the Lord Admiral’s face there was steadiness. ...Anger.

“That _thing_ is still your sister, Alleria.” She snapped back quietly. “She is still the woman that _broke_ in my arms after your disappearance. Still, the woman that rose the next morning to defend her people as she always had. _Your_ people. A burden she bore until her last moments. I know you and I didn’t know one another then. And I know I don’t know you well, now. But there _is_ something left of her in what she’s become. And that something has never stopped grieving your loss.”

“I should call a meeting right now. I should inform the Alliance of your treachery. I…”

“Or you could give me a few moments of your time. I can see in your eyes that you are desperate not to believe me. And I understand why. I understand that this is irreconcilable. But that isn’t what I’m asking of you.” 

She lifted a hand slowly and opened a portal as Alleria watched, clearly shaken by their conversation. And Jaina recognized that there was more than just anger in her eyes. 

“What are you doing?” She asked as she looked into the portal and saw nothing but darkness within it. 

_She lies. You know this. End it now._

The whispers caressed her mind gently - soothingly. Preying on the weakness of the doubt and hurt that clouded her thoughts. 

“Where are you, Sylvanas…” Jaina whispered, shutting her eyes tightly before an image flickered in the distance of the endless Void beyond the portal. It was draining. She hadn’t gone there on purpose the first time and it felt so _wrong_ to seek it out again. 

Alleria felt her breath catch in her throat as faced a sight she never thought she would be met with again. 

_An illusion. Trickery._

She shook her head sharply in defiance and hooked her bow at her back as she took a tentative step towards the portal that had twisted into a tear in their reality leading to the thing that had been calling to her for years. Only this time it contained something other than darkness. She felt herself stepping through before she could even think to stop. And she drew upon her own powers to close the tear behind her so Jaina wouldn't follow. 

“My sister…” The smile that came with the greeting was warm and familiar and she became more corporeal for just a moment - allowing Alleria to see her more fully before she seemed to lose the energy that had allowed such a thing to occur. No, this was no illusion. And she was shaken to her very core.

“It cannot be…” She whispered, causing this ghost of her past to tilt her head to the side questioningly. “I’ve seen you. In Quel’thalas. In Lordaeron. This...this is not what you are.”

_Leave her to us. She is none of your concern._

The High Elf turned her head towards the direction that particular whisper had seemed to come from. She? 

“What do you mean, you’ve seen me?” 

She could hear her own breathing in her ears it was so loud. Her own pulse hammering in them. And she was met with genuine confusion. Sadness. Loss.  
“I...I must have been mistaken…”

“Jaina called for me.” The image...if that’s what she was...seemed to already have forgotten about her earlier misstep. “Did you stop her from coming to me?”

“Yes, I...she shouldn’t be here.”

“Thank you. For stopping her.” 

Alleria moved closer to her cautiously and reached out, watching as her hand made contact with the familiar armor atop her shoulder for a short time before it passed through entirely. 

“So is this where you’ve been, then? For how long?” Alleria asked quietly, deciding not to bring up her current state of being again. 

“I don’t know.” She responded. “A long, long time. Alleria...you hear them, don’t you? I can feel...no matter. Why have you come?”

“Jaina wanted me to see you. She told me the two of you were…”

“Lovers.”

“Yes.”

That seemed to breathe some semblance of life into this shade of her sister and she found herself glad for it. 

They stood in silence for a long time, calmly regarding one another. It was a comfortable silence. One they had shared many times in the forests of their childhoods. Very rarely did Alleria feel emotion so strongly as she did now. And it was audible in her next question. “What happened while I was gone?” 

“Why would you wish to hear such a thing if you do not already know?” Sylvanas asked quietly - suddenly sounding so alive Alleria had to catch her breath before she answered.

“I’m here. And so are you. I would know what happened to my sister before I leave.” 

“You know how battles work. You know it was lost. You know I failed my people.”

“You didn’t, Sylvanas. Do you believe that?” There was a fierceness in her eyes. She had always been so proud of her little sister. And it was strange to suddenly feel that again...after all she’d been told. After all she’d seen with her own eyes. 

“It isn’t a matter of believing. You don’t have to believe the truth for it to remain the truth.” 

“A fair enough statement.” Alleria whispered, reaching for the necklace that had hung at her throat for so long only to remember it was no longer there. “But perhaps had I not...had I not been gone…” 

“We bested him at every turn, you know. For a while.” Sylvanas interrupted her before she could continue. “And then the gates were compromised. His armies...were endless. A machine of war - more efficient than anything this world had ever seen. And they were not made of enemies...but of friends. Of family. Every living being that fell in its wake added another body to his ranks. It became clear it wasn’t a battle we could win. And then the priority was slowing him enough that Silvermoon could be successfully evacuated. I placed myself and my last unit between his army and the last bridge.” 

“Fairbreeze.” Alleria murmured.

“We got everyone out before he came.”

“How many left, then?” Alleria asked in a barely audible voice. 

“Twenty. Give or take.” Sylvanas answered gently, watching as Alleria’s downcast gaze darkened slightly. 

“Against?”

“Thousands.” She answered simply, reaching out to touch the tattoo adorning her sister’s arm. It felt like the ghost of a breeze against her skin. “If you had been there...you would have been nothing more than another body. As much as it tore me apart to lose you...it was better this way.” 

“You could have run, you know.” 

Sylvanas smiled for a fleeting moment. “You know that was never an option for me. I did what had to be done.” 

Alleria looked up at her and nodded faintly. “You fell honorably...defending everything we loved.”

“Is this what happens when you fall honorably?” Sylvanas asked - though there was no sarcasm in her voice where Alleria expected there to be. 

“He didn’t afford me that courtesy, sister.”

_She begged. Noble martyr. Hero. Reduced to nothing. And now she will bring your world and everything in it to ruin._

Alleria winced in response to the whispers cutting through her thoughts and brought her hands to her ears as she bared her teeth, seething with anger at their accusations in the face of what she’d just learned. 

“They speak to me, too. Always.” Sylvanas’s voice seemed farther away now and when she looked back up at her from where she’d lowered her head she noticed she seemed to be looking past her shoulder. “But there isn’t any use in both of us suffering.” And without another word, Alleria found herself alone, turning slowly in the cool comfort that surrounded her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Jaina..”

The mage looked up from where she sat on the edge of the cot in the small room she’d met the eldest Windrunner in, leaning on her staff slightly as she moved to stand. “Do you mean to drag me to Stormwind, then, Alleria? Or try to?”

The High Elf was quiet for a moment. Jaina’s words earlier had cut her deeply and to have them all validated in such an undeniable way…

“Would you take me to her?” She asked, her brow furrowed slightly as she watched Jaina’s wary expression. 

“Why?” But she found relief in the way Alleria looked at her. Like she was longing for something she couldn’t verbalize. 

“Don’t make me hurt you in front of her, Alleria.” She paused before she opened the portal. “Please.”

Sylvanas had just finished lacing her leggings when she looked up with a smile at the sound of a portal being opened - fully expecting to see Jaina. What she didn’t expect - what she never could have prepared herself for - was the sight of Alleria following her through it almost somberly. Her eyes flickered across the room to where her bow leaned in the corner and then back to Jaina. 

“Easy.” The mage murmured, keeping herself between them as she walked over to her lover and grasped her upper arm gently, stroking along her collarbone through the loose shirt she wore with her thumb and looking into her worried eyes. 

“Sylvanas…” Alleria reached to her hip and unclipped her quiver, allowing it to fall to the floor of the small cabin well out of her reach. This seemed to ease the tension in the room enough that Jaina moved slowly to the side. 

When her sister didn’t respond she cleared her throat and licked her lips - finding them suddenly unbearably dry. “I…” 

“You were never quite the public speaker I was, were you? At least some things remain the same, I suppose.” The Warchief’s dry tone resulted in a rather irritated sigh from her sister but she seemed willing to ignore the comment which left Sylvanas feeling uncomfortable. She looked to Jaina out of the corner of her eye and then back at her sister. 

“I wanted to know if you would walk with me. For old time’s sake. Just once.” 

Even Jaina was surprised at the request - and if she had hackles they would have been thoroughly raised. But before she could protest Sylvanas left her even more shocked. 

“I would like nothing more.” 

Jaina turned and watched as the walked towards one another and as she turned to face them her staff made firm, low contact with the floor beneath it mere inches from Alleria’s shoulder. The High Elf looked down at her and Jaina glanced down as she lifted her bow towards her. “I won’t need this, Lady Proudmoore.”

Jaina seemed satisfied enough as she took the bow firmly in her hand, watching them walk towards the door and then out past the window - her eyes never leaving them as she tracked Alleria’s every movement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We’ve been standing here for ages, Alleria. People might start to ask after you. I hear you’re very important to their cause. Perhaps if you didn’t have anything to say you shouldn’t have come. We aren’t children lazing about in the forests anymore. Neither of us has time for this.”

“I’m proud of you.” Alleria whispered almost immediately in response. 

Sylvanas shifted visibly as the words fell over her and her jaw clenched tightly - her eyes still trained steadily on the waters that moved steadily across the sands of the small inlet they were standing over. Her nostrils flared slightly and she exhaled sharply through them. “....What?”

“I left the weight of the world on your shoulders when I went through that portal. I...I won’t ever accept what you’ve done...but what you did...and whatever is left of that woman inside you...even though the world has come between us and that isn’t likely to change...It is an honor to be the sister of that person.” 

Sylvanas blinked hard and turned her head away slightly and Alleria finally braved a glance in her direction, watching as she started to turn away. “Sylvanas, say something.” She breathed, turning to face her fallen sister. 

She stopped at the urgency in Alleria’s tone, her emotions jumbled and her thoughts nonsensical and panicked. “I’m sorry, too.” She whispered, turning first her head and then her body to face her. “I’m sorry you didn’t have anything to come back to. Alleria, I-”

“You tried, Sylvanas.” Alleria responded. “With everything in you. I wish I could help you. Save you from this. Unweave the web that will keep us apart.”

As a single tear slipped down her younger sister’s cheek Alleria moved against her and pulled her head down in a painfully rare display no matter who she was with and rested her own on top of it. “I have to go.” 

Sylvanas simply nodded and pulled back slowly - her face already dry and once again almost expressionless. 

“Thank you for walking with me.” The High Elf both looked and sounded awkward suddenly and Sylvanas smiled softly. 

“You should really work on that.” She responded in a gently chiding tone that Alleria hadn’t heard since...before. “Be on your way, then.” 

Alleria took one last look at her before she turned and began walking towards the forests in the distance. She didn’t find the idea of inviting the void into her head particularly appealing - not right now. And certainly not in her sister’s presence. 

She was so distracted she jumped when something solid stopped her steady forward path and she looked down at her bow and quiver bundled together barring her from going any further and then gradually, up into Jaina’s eyes. “How did you-”

“I blinked. You flirt with the void on a regular basis and my blinking has you shaken?” Her expression softened as she released the weapon into Alleria’s hands. “...Thank you.” The mage finished quietly, almost apologetically, though there was genuine gratitude in her voice. 

Alleria looked over her shoulder at the woman standing in the far distance to make sure her eyes weren’t on them before responding.

“No...thank you.” Alleria responded as she took her bow. “Do you...find it easy? To still care for her?”

Jaina laughed quietly. “She’s never been easy, Alleria. But she’s always been worth it.”

 

"You Found Me"

I found God  
On the corner of First and Amistad  
Where the west  
Was all but won  
All alone  
Smoking his last cigarette  
I said, "Where you been?"  
He said, "Ask anything."

Where were you  
When everything was falling apart?  
All my days  
Were spent by the telephone  
That never rang  
And all I needed was a call  
That never came  
To the corner of First and Amistad

In the end  
Everyone ends up alone  
Losing her  
The only one who's ever known  
Who I am  
Who I'm not, who I wanna be  
No way to know  
How long she will be next to me

Early morning  
The city breaks  
I've been callin'  
For years and years and years and years  
And you never left me no messages  
You never send me no letters  
You got some kind of nerve  
Taking all I want

Lost and insecure  
You found me, you found me  
Lyin' on the floor  
Where were you? Where were you?  
Lost and insecure  
You found me, you found me  
Lyin' on the floor  
Surrounded, surrounded  
Why'd you have to wait?  
Where were you? Where were you?  
Just a little late  
You found me, you found me  
Why'd you have to wait?  
To find me, to find me


	19. Often

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

Sylvanas woke to soft dawn-light filtering through the window of the way station - landing across her face in a way that would have made her shut her eyes against it before. But not now. Everything was different now. She could feel it in the way Jaina had pressed closer to her as they slept - closer to her warmth instead of accepting the coldness. In the way she could feel her heart beating steadily in her own chest. She knew they had things to do - important, life-altering things. But in this moment nothing was more urgent than just _being_.

“What are you thinking about?” Jaina asked in a murmur as she stroked over her lover’s chest and lifted her head to look at her. 

Sylvanas smiled faintly and looked at her with nothing short of adoration in her eyes. “Lots of things. Mostly you.” 

Jaina shook her head with a smirk and as she tried to sit up she felt strong arms holding her in place. “A while longer. Please. I’m not ready to let you go just yet.” 

“We’re riding to the village together, my darling...we have a while longer, yet.” But she settled back down and rested her head on the Ranger-General’s shoulder. 

“But not like this.” 

Jaina was silent for a moment as she stroked along Sylvanas’s bare arm, tracing a scar on her toned bicep as Sylvanas watched her. “Why have you always done that?” She asked as though it had only just occurred to her to want to know. 

“Because they’re a part of you. And I love every part of you.” 

“Mm, is that it?” Sylvanas lifted a hand to her hair to give it a gentle tug before stroking through it languidly. 

“Not entirely.” 

“Do tell.”

“You got a lot of them before we were together. Before I ever even knew you. But some of them...some of them I remember well. I remember having to force you to let me dress them while they healed. I remember learning how to accept that you’d almost always come back with a new one and how I never really stopped worrying. It just became part of it all. They’re like chapters of a book I’ve re-read a hundred times over. Your skin pages I’ve traced with my fingertips often, but never enough. They’re a visual testament to how strong you are...how fragile. And how beautiful.” 

Sylvanas found it difficult to breathe and her hand slowed to a stop in Jaina’s hair as she listened. She swallowed thickly and tried to blink back the tears that came anyway, albeit silently. “I never knew. I…” 

“Well now you do.” Jaina whispered, leaning over to kiss the base of her neck and then her cheek before Sylvanas finally allowed her to sit up next to her. She reached up to stroke the tears away from her face. “They’re also incredibly arousing.” 

Sylvanas was so caught off-guard she had no choice but to laugh instead of cry. A real laugh. One that filled the small room with more joy than Jaina had felt in many, many years as she watched some of the heaviness the older woman had carried for so long melt away. 

As they finally reluctantly let go of their moment of calm Jaina moved to retrieve her robes, readying herself before Sylvanas had strapped on even half her armor. “Let me.” She urged as she moved to stand in front of her. Sylvanas smiled and made a soft, amused noise in the back of her throat. “Do you remember?”

“After all the times I’ve peeled you out of this armor? Please, Sylvanas.” She took her time with it. Made sure there were no folds in the soft leather of her breaches beneath any of the straps of her thigh armor. She remembered well how important this had been. How easy it was for a single mistake to cause loss of range of movement or injury - though just her simple comfort was almost as important to Jaina.

“You looked so good in this.” She murmured as she moved behind the taller woman with her cloak and attached it near her pauldrons before turning her around with a hand around her arm. “Yeah. You still do. Damn good, Sylvanas.” She looked her over slowly before reaching up and pulling her hood over her head, slipping one of her lover’s ears through its appropriate slit as Sylvanas took care of the other one for her. 

“You know I like doing that.” She feigned a hint of sulk in her voice and raised an eyebrow at the snort Sylvanas gave her in response. “My apologies, fair maiden. I’ll let you do both next time.”

“See that you do, Ranger-General.” She returned the easy banter building between them quickly, surprised at how well Sylvanas seemed to be doing, all things considered. 

“Mm...haven’t heard that in a long time.” Sylvanas murmured softly, reaching up to run her hands into Jaina’s hair, drawing it back away from her face and stepping closer to her. “You look so young.” 

Jaina watched as the gentle blue glow of her lover’s eyes trailed over her features and stroked gently along her bare stomach. “So do you. But we need to get going.”

Sylvanas ignored the truth of that statement for the time being and tilted Jaina’s head up, kissing her with a slow tenderness that left the mage aching. “I must be the luckiest woman on Azeroth...to watch you become the woman I know all over again. It was a pleasure the first time around.”

“You should stop before I take all of this back off of you, Sylvanas. I may look young but we both know I could have you on the floor beneath me crying out for me before you knew what was happening.” 

Sylvanas gathered the mage’s hair behind her head and pulled it gently, bowing her head further and running her nose up along the front of her throat before she kissed the underside of her chin. “I’m well aware. Perhaps you’ve forgotten I can do the same.” 

“I haven’t.” Jaina whispered, a soft breath leaving her as Sylvanas released her hair and kissed her forehead. 

“Soon.” The High Elf murmured, reluctantly stepping back and taking Jaina’s hand in hers to lead her out of the cabin. Her horse lifted his head in acknowledgment of their shared presence. He was no stranger to it. And Jaina slid a hand along her back beneath her cloak as she paused. 

It had been so long since she’d ridden a living horse. Since one had even allowed her near. And she’d spent so much of her life atop one. “Sylvanas...it’s alright. To him you’ve only been gone a short while.”

The older woman stepped forward, then, and lifted a gloved hand to him - watching as he pressed his nose into her palm in a way that made her smile warmly. It seemed that was all it took before she was swinging herself up into his saddle as though nothing had changed and she looked down at Jaina as she settled in comfortably. 

“You’re an absolute vision, Sylvanas.” Jaina observed idly, watching her posture - the way her broad, strong shoulders shifted beneath her armor. The mage was no stranger to horsemanship - having been raised around some of the most prized animals in her kingdom and ridden many of them, herself. She’d always found it freeing as a child. But with Sylvanas...it was something else entirely. This woman had been fighting on horseback since before she was born - nevermind simply riding. And it showed. 

“Ride with me?” She asked as she held out a hand to her and Jaina reached up, grasping her forearm and hoisting herself up with one foot on top of Sylvanas’s boot. It was so familiar and simple and yet in that moment, as she pressed herself against her lover’s back and wrapped an arm around her, it felt like something just clicked. It was such a strong sensation it was almost audible to her. 

As they rode towards their destination Sylvanas eased into it even more, eventually lowering her hand in front of her and holding both reins in just one, covering Jaina’s with the other. “Are you comfortable?” She asked as the road passed quickly beneath them though the ride was easy and gentle. 

“Absolutely.” Jaina responded without hesitation, her eyes trailing over the landscape that passed around them. She had always found Quel’thalas beautiful. But seeing it now after knowing what it had become in their time…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And you’re sure you’ll be safe?” Sylvanas asked as she stroked over Jaina’s thigh after making sure the cinch around her mount’s belly was secure. The mage reached down and tweaked her ear gently - pleased that her lover seemed inclined to allow such a thing now - at least this far outside the village they’d requisitioned her ride from.

“Dar’khan is nothing, Sylvanas. Not to me. I’ll see you in Silvermoon when I return from Dalaran.” 

The Ranger-General grasped the front and back of Jaina’s saddle and lifted herself up easily to press a firm kiss to her lips before dropping back to the ground and pulling herself back up onto her own horse. She lingered, though, their knees almost touching she was so close to her lover. 

“I’ll be fine. I’ve wanted this for a long, long time.” Sylvanas reached out and took her hand in response, squeezing it tightly in her own. 

“On the morrow, then, Dalah’surfal.”

Jaina smirked in amusement. “You hide your nervousness beneath formality, Ranger-General.” 

Sylvanas gave her a withering look as she began guiding her horse away from the mage’s in the direction of the capital city. “I always found it adorable. I still do.”

The High Elf shook her head faintly. “I love you, Jaina.”

“And I love you. Now go report to your King while I attend to other matters.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina’s face was even and calm as she dismounted a short distance from where she last sensed Dar’khan’s magic. He already possessed one of the stones protecting the Sunwell - protecting the entire kingdom - but that wasn’t enough. And she, unlike him, had intimate knowledge of their locations rather than a briefing by Lor’themar. She knew of them through the Ranger-General, herself.

“Jaina! What a surprise to see you, here.” She turned in response to the feigned warmth and offered him a hollow smile. 

“Where is the stone, Dar’khan?” She asked calmly. The ease with which he answered was sickening to her. 

“Being strengthened, of course. Did Lor’themar send you? He seems to think nobody has any business in these forests that isn’t a Ranger. But you and I know that’s not true, hm? I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you on your induction into the Kirin Tor-”

“Enough, Deceiver. Give me the stone and I’ll kill you quickly instead of slowly.” 

He paused, standing absolutely still as he seemed to finally be out of quick, clever defenses. 

“I never knew...what he offered you that was so grand that you would do such a thing. Won’t you enlighten me?” 

Dar’khan narrowed his eyes faintly and she watched impassively as he began to cast and she dismissed it with a faint gesture of her hand. He glanced down in disbelief. She was a mere child. How was this possible? 

“Power.” He spat out angrily, clenching his fist around his staff. “I grow weary of my peoples’ lack of eagerness to learn. To grow. Do you not understand that? I would have thought differently.” 

“You would have thought wrong.” She responded. “They would have stopped him here, you know. Had it not been for you.”

“How could you possibly-” 

“He kills you, anyway, you know. And just as your greed has been your undoing before, so shall it be again.” She held her hand out at her side and in the next instant the largest water elemental he’d ever seen towered between them.

Not having been prepared for a physical attack, Dar’khan attempted to move out of the way of the creature’s powerful, sweeping blow, but found himself instead impacting solidly with a nearby tree instead. 

“The stone, traitor.” Jaina muttered, slowly moving back into his currently blurred line of vision. 

“You think your _pet_ is a match for me, Proudmoore?” He demanded, and Jaina watched in amusement as he threw up a wall of flame around himself and her elemental grumbled quietly before she dismissed him, making her way to towards the unbearable heat of the shield the other mage had conjured. 

“No. But it was nice to watch you get tossed through the air.” She responded as she reached towards the shield - drawing its power into herself and then using the link to drain it from him as well. 

He tried and failed to break the hold she had over his magic and the confident, venemous look on his face contorted into one of fear. “I’ll give you the stone! Stop this! You have no proof...you would murder me in cold blood? “

He was panting as she stopped almost instantly, almost as though she was genuinely considering his words. “I suppose I would, yes.” She responded quietly, and before he could even process her words he found a shard of ice lodged in his throat. 

Jaina didn’t even bother to watch the life drain from him as she reached down and opened the pouch he wore at his hip to retrieve what she’d come for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ranger-General.”

Sylvanas nodded at the young soldier who greeted her outside her rooms in Silvermoon - reserved for her position but rarely used. “At ease.” She responded, her hand slipping from the handle of the ornate door that would have taken her inside to a much-needed session of peace and quiet. The briefing with the King followed by a full night of worry over her lover before she notified her of her arrival in Dalaran had left her drained.

“Lady Proudmoore has sent word that you are to expect her this evening. She comes with a message from The Council in Dalaran.” 

“Very well. I will receive her in my rooms upon her arrival.” Her tone was authoritative and firm but there was a smile behind it that she couldn’t help. The young woman saluted and was on her way and she watched her go - finding herself wondering if she would have been one of the few that survived the war where they’d come from. Probably not. 

But she couldn’t keep her mind off Jaina for long. Not yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“No, thank you. I can show myself. I know the way.” The Mage dismissed the escort that had been awaiting her arrival and couldn’t help but maintain a rushed pace as she wove her way through the city towards the officers’ quarters. She’d only been here a handful of times - having spent most of their time together in Windrunner Village - but Sylvanas had always had a way of making things and places unforgettable.

Apparently, that was still the case. When she knocked softly and entered the door she was greeted by a sight that made her heart leap into her throat as Sylvanas turned towards her slowly. 

That damned dress uniform. With its perfect tailoring and priceless blue, velvety cloth and golden thread in its embellishments. Rank stripes that gleamed along the sides of her legs in the mage-light of the room, the high collar that rested mid-way up her neck tall, brown leather riding boots with filigree along the edges that hugged her calves and matched the delicate elven needlework around the hems of her sleeves. And her hair was pulled back away from her face - exposing the sharpness of her jawline. The only hint of the wild Ranger that remained were the gold rings adorning her ears. Ears that shifted almost imperceptibly as though she were listening for something. 

She realized her hand had risen to her own chest - over the rapid heartbeat that she knew was the very thing her elven lover was listening to. 

“Lady Proudmoore. You come with news?” 

Oh, god. That damned voice. 

“I...yes. You’re being ridiculous, by the way. The Council has agreed to send…” Her voice caught in her throat as Sylvanas approached her and the heels of her boots making contact with the floors caused her to glance down. She watched as strong thighs caused the tails of her jacket to part with each step until finally, she stopped just in front of her. “Reinforcements. When…” She felt like she was twenty years old again. She could barely think - let alone speak - as Sylvanas so easily shifted the dynamic that had developed between them in the time since she became the Banshee. And Jaina found herself all too willing to let it happen. She felt like the girl in that tavern in Dalaran - captivated by a smile and a gaze too beautiful for words.

Her eyes followed Sylvanas’s hand as it trailed up the front of her body slowly until she felt it lifting her chin. “Well, now. That is good news, indeed.” Lips just barely touched her own in the softest of kisses before they moved once more. “The rest can wait, dalah’surfal. Your General needs you in her bed.” 

All Jaina could do was nod in response, glancing down at lips that claimed hers more fully in quick succession. Sylvanas led her backwards towards the bedchamber slowly, guiding her steps with her own. As Jaina’s hands reached for the golden buttons of the vest beneath her jacket she caught her hands in her own, twining their fingers together. “Mm-mm.”

Jaina’s head spun as Sylvanas released her hands and lifted her suddenly, moving them onto the bed on her knees as she held the mage against her and lowered her gradually, looking down at her once she was laying at her knees with her legs spread beneath her robes on either side of her own. 

The mage lifted a hand almost tentatively, finding the buckle of the leather belt that completed her lover’s uniform and tugging slightly as her eyes spoke more of her need more than words ever could have. Sylvanas slid her hands up her slender legs - drawing her robes up her body along with them and brushing her thumb along the dampened cloth of her underwear between her legs. 

“Do you find me so desirable?” She asked, her eyes flashing up to her as she slowly dragged the thin garment to the side, her eyelids fluttering as the tip of her thumb grazed soft, wet curls of hair. But Jaina knew she didn’t need an answer. “Get up.” She whispered - and somehow even as her voice lost nearly all its volume it retained the resonance of authority it had held since she’d arrived. As she obeyed wordlessly Sylvanas began undressing her - though she didn’t touch her in any way that wasn’t just more maddening until she had her in just the underwear she had so thoroughly soaked, kneeling in front of her “Sylvanas..you’re going to drive me-”

“On your hands and knees.” The Ranger-General cut her off, her hands at her sides unmoving. Jaina was fairly certain she would do anything just to have them against her skin again. Warm and calloused and delicate and...so much like her lover in every way. As she moved into the position the older woman wanted her in she felt wetness drip down her inner thigh and it made her shudder as she leaned down on her forearms and spread her knees - only exposing herself even more. 

Sylvanas remembered a time Jaina would have been nervous right now. And yet she could have been a goddess incarnate the way she presented to her, now - utterly unashamed of her own desire. She’d barely felt the bed shift before Sylvanas’s warm breath ghosted over her and she found herself spread even further by strong hands gripping her ass. She had expected roughness. Impatience.

What she got was neither. It was slow and deep and healing - the warmth of her lover’s mouth against her inner thighs. Cleaning her - a slick tongue tracing the lines of the mess she had made of herself. And then just when she thought she might be overcome with frustration she felt that same tongue sink inside her, lapping at her slowly in a way that caused her jaw to work and her chin to apply waves of pressure to against her clit. The heat took almost as much getting used to as the cold had. The hot breaths that were panted out against her - the life in the hands that held her open.   
It was an overwhelming combination that had her moaning into the pillow her face was pressed into and rocking back against her lover’s mouth and she was rewarded with a deep groan against her that made her push herself so she could look back at Sylvanas over her shoulder. 

The High Elf smirked and looked up at her lover over the swell of her ass - slowing her movements as she caught Jaina’s barely-aware gaze in her own half-lidded one. She lifted her head, then - her lips and chin glistening in a way Jaina found unbearably erotic. And of course she didn’t bother to wipe her mouth as she gripped her hip with one of her hands and sank three of her fingers where her tongue had just been, shifting on her knees so her hips were even with Jaina’s as the mage hissed sharply but only pushed back into her instead of pulling away. 

“Oh, Jaina...I know you can handle more than that.” Sylvanas breathed as she began moving them slowly. Her eyes were still on her beloved’s flushed face - transfixed by the way her lips stayed parted ever so slightly as she gasped when, sooner than she’d been expecting it, she felt a fourth finger pressing at despite how thoroughly filled she already felt. “Take it for me.” Sylvanas breathed, slowly sliding her hand up to rest against the small of her back as she finally looked down at what she was doing. The way Jaina stretched around her so tightly had her own breathing quick and irregular. But she was careful. Careful as she curled her hand slightly within her lover to press it even deeper - watching as Jaina almost reached back to stop her. Almost. But not quite. “Good girl.” She murmured, feeling the mage relax slightly beneath her hand on her back as she stroked along it slowly and began working her - easing deeper every so often until Jaina couldn’t take it anymore and collapsed down onto her chest, her cheek on the pillow below her so she could still watch what her lover was doing as best she could. 

She knew what Sylvanas wanted. And she knew she would give it to her. When she felt the tips of her fingers fold inside her and her thumb just barely grazing her she pushed back, though it didn’t help. Sylvanas had been ready for the movement. “Easy.” She breathed distractedly. “Let me take care of you.” 

Jaina whimpered as her lover leaned down over her, kissing her shoulder and resting her forehead against her back as her hand continued working between them - twisting and rocking - inch by inch until, suddenly, as she finally released a breath she’d been holding in the largest part of her hand slipped through the firm resistance of Jaina’s body and she cried out hoarsely as her eyes shut. All she could do was shake as she tightened and loosened around the fist lodged so thoroughly inside her in sporadic waves. 

Sylvanas had the sense to stay still for a while, resting some of her weight on her so she wouldn’t move and hurt herself and stroking through her hair with her free hand as she took a moment to catch her breath. “That’s my girl…” She breathed gently, tucking her hair behind her ear and resting her hand on the bed next to Jaina’s to lift her upper body up. Jaina moved her trembling fingertips over that hand, grasping it tightly. “Don’t stop…” She whispered. “Make me come. Please, Sylvanas...please…” 

The High Elf moved her hand slowly at first, moaning low in the back of her throat as the tight ring of muscle around her wrist held her so firmly that was all she could manage. Eventually, though, as the muscles in her arm burned with fatigue and her hand ached from the tightness Jaina’s body once again accepted her ad she pulled her hand away, reaching between her lover’s legs to find her clit with her fingertips as sweat slipped down from her brow along her jawline. The sounds her young lover was making were almost animalistic. Deep, shuddering moans and high, keening whines and every so often an attempt at her name. When she came it was one of the most explosive things either of them had ever experienced and before it was over Sylvanas was splayed on top of her - still buried wrist-deep within her as they both gasped harshly.

“Sylvanas…” Jaina managed to whisper, reaching up and touching the side of her neck to discover it hot to the touch and wet with sweat. 

The older woman nodded weakly and took her hand. “Breathe.” She whispered, guiding her hand out of her slowly as she exhaled and cupping her in her palm immediately to take some of the sting of being so empty so suddenly away. 

Jaina jerked in response to the discomfort but settled into the warmth of the gentle hold her lover had on her. It took her a while to realize she could feel the woman’s heart beating against her back and she smiled weakly - exhausted and sore but content beyond imagining. “We need to get you out of that uniform before you burn up.” She breathed, though she knew at the moment she wouldn’t be of much help. 

As though the thought hadn’t previously occurred to her Sylvanas murmured something unintelligible in agreement and, with a bit of difficulty, got her dress coat and vest undone and discarded and fell back into bed with Jaina, laying on her back as the air of the room cooled the reddened, bare skin of her chest. 

“Thank you.” Jaina whispered quietly, reaching out to stroke slowly up the front of her body before her hand rested over one of the Ranger-General’s breasts, her thumb just barely grazing a nipple already hardened by the relative cold of the room. 

Sylvanas turned her head to look at her and rested her hand along Jaina’s wrist and the mage lifted a brow as she saw it already starting to bruise slightly in some places. “Did I do that?.” 

The High Elf smirked and shook her head. “Yes, fair maiden. You did. And I’ll appreciate the reminder come tomorrow.” 

“As will I.” The mage leaned over and kissed her beloved’s shoulder before resting her forehead against it.

  


“Often”  
The Weeknd

 

I usually love sleeping all alone  
This time around bring your friend with you  
But we ain't really going to sleep at all  
You ain't gonna catch me with them sneak pictures  
In my city I'm a young God  
That pussy kill be so vicious  
My God white, he in my pocket  
He get me redder than the devil 'til I go nauseous

Ask me if I do this every day, I said, "Often."  
Ask how many times she rode the wave—"Not so often."  
Bitches down to do it either way, often  
Baby I can make that pussy rain, often  
Often, often, girl I do this often  
Make that pussy poppin', do it how I want it  
Often, often, girl I do this often  
Make that pussy poppin', do it how I want it  
Often

Infatuated by the fame status  
She wanna ride inside the G-Class grey matic  
I come around, she leave that nigga like he ain't matter  
That girl been drinkin' all day, need to change bladder  
She's just happy that the crew back in town  
She's 'bout to go downtown for a whole hour  
If I had her, you can have her, man it don't matter  
I'm never sour, I'm just smokin' somethin' much louder

 

Oh, the sun's risin' up  
The night's almost up  
The night's almost done  
But I see your eyes  
You wanna go again  
Girl, I'll go again  
Girl, I'll go again


	20. You Are The Reason

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

_“Ah, Lady Windrunner. It’s so nice to see you.”_

_“The pleasure is all mine, Katherine.” She responded, bowing her head and taking her hand for a brief moment before she turned her attention to Daelin._

_“General.” He greeted rather gruffly, though Sylvanas was unbothered. “Your visit was announced but not explained. We would have expected Jaina to be with you.”_

_Katherine cleared her throat and cut her eyes at her husband sharply. “Please, have a seat.” She offered politely, watching as some of their staff moved in with a tea service and began pulling chairs out for them. They’d been waiting for their Lady’s cue - having always found the High-Elf intimidating on her visits. Sometimes of state for various reasons Sylvanas had managed to come up with...often times, not. Though they certainly wouldn’t have brought that up around the elder Proudmoores. They were rather fond of Jaina, after all._

_Sylvanas glanced over at the chair, swallowing a bit nervously though she hid it well behind her assumed rank and importance. “That would be lovely, thank you.” She responded, glancing over her shoulder as she felt a hand on it. “Might I take your jacket, miss?” The girl was young. No more than fourteen at best. “Go ahead.”_

_“Of course, ma’am.” An odd title, indeed...and one she most definitely wasn’t used to hearing._

_Daelin seemed to appraise her as the jacket was removed - leaving her arms bare where the vest cut off just before her shoulders. He hadn’t expected so much...substantialness. He’d always looked upon Elves as vain, waifish creatures. But the mixture of her uniform and obvious signs of combat had him feeling slightly rebuffed._

_Katherine, usually running their keep in her husband’s absences at sea, was much more used to the Elven General’s presence on her daughter's visits home._

_“I’m afraid Jaina has just arrived in Dalaran to meet with the Kirin Tor. I apologize if my lone presence offends. But it is a conversation best had without her present.” Sylvanas explained as she moved to take the seat that had been pulled out for her, followed by the Admiral and his wife. She didn’t touch her tea - even when they each took a polite enough sip from their own. “Not enough rum.”_

_Katherine’s eyes widened and she looked over at him. “Daelin.” She whispered - though she found, to her surprise, Sylvanas was laughing quietly in amusement when she looked back up at her from her scolding of her husband. “Not enough rum, indeed, High Admiral.”_

_He appeared pleased with himself and his own joke and she found herself liking him all the more for it. She’d begun to learn to separate people from who they became under the circumstances that befell them in their own timeline. Katherine and Daelin were just people, now. Parents who loved their daughter fiercely. And she was nervous._

_“Well...now that we’ve gotten this tea business out of the way...tell me, what brings you, General?” Daelin leaned forward a bit in interest - one arm along the edge of the table. Sylvanas would’ve normally appreciated his directness. But not right now._

_“I’ve come to ask something of you that is very important to me. Not as a military figure...nor a political one. Though I’m sure there would be certain benefits to be had if the occasion called.”_

_“Then what, exactly, do you come as?” Daelin responded, leaning into his chair and resting his arm along the back of it._

_Katherine’s expression was almost searching for a moment as it fell on her face and she had her hands resting together in her lap. She looked almost as nervous, suddenly, as the Ranger-General felt._

_Sylvanas’s posture was straight and unwavering for once instead of the way she usually carried herself so easily - so care-free in social situations. “As a woman who loves your daughter very, very much.”_

_“Go on, then.” Daelin’s voice was a bit softer than usual. Neither of them were ignorant to what was going on between the two of them. In fact, they’d had one or two heated discussions about it over the course of the past few months. Katherine won out, in the end. Arthas could have very well dragged Jaina down the path he’d embarked upon. Or his loss could have destroyed her. The Proudmoore Matriarch was all too glad someone had stopped either outcome. And Daelin wasn’t so blind that he couldn’t see the wisdom behind her feelings on the matter._

_“I would ask her for her hand in marriage. With your blessing.” She spoke in a strong, even tone even as her heart seemed determined to dance wildly in her chest. And silence fell over the room for a time as they both stared at her. Daelin thinking about what this could mean for his people - Katherine thinking about what this could mean for her daughter._

_“Why now?” Katherine found herself asking before she could stop herself. “We are at war...the scourge ravages everything it touches...your people only narrowly pushed it back. Why now, when so much is at stake?”_

_Sylvanas thought the question over carefully. She hadn’t asked them at all the first time around, actually. But this time...this time she wanted to do everything right. Everything. “Perhaps _because_ so much is at stake. Would our peoples not benefit from the hope of it? Yours think mine fearsome wielders of magics beyond comprehension. And they are correct.” _

_They listened to her carefully. To every word. She tended to have that effect on people when she wanted to. And her name carried weight no matter where she went. Even here._

_“I can’t promise you she will never experience hardship or pain...but I can promise you I will make her happy. And that I would give my life for hers without so much as a thought. Lady Katherine...Grand Admiral...she would stand by my side with or without your approval. You know your daughter well enough to know that much is true.” She glanced down as Katherine reached for Daelin’s hand and gave it a faint squeeze and then looked back up at both of them in turn. “But to have your support...and for her to have your love, as well...would mean the world to her. And to me.”_

_The couple looked to one another as Sylvanas held her breath, using every ounce of willpower she had just to sit still and not start pacing. But the moment didn’t last long. And she wondered how deep their love must have been for neither of them to need to speak a single word._

_“It is...unconventional to say the least.” Katherine finally said as she looked away from Daelin. She finally released a breath as the rugged man winked at her almost slyly. “But the way I have seen her look at you...is the way I looked at Daelin when we were young. The way I still look at him now when he is not being insufferable.”_

_The Admiral looked over at his wife with a raised brow, though he seemed to find her comment more amusing than offensive._

_“I would never wish to take that from her.” She continued, ignoring the look from her husband. “You absolutely have our blessing. But..please. Save the wedding for after this war is finished. I don’t think I can take much more.”_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas moved her horse closer to Jaina’s as they rode in a peaceful daze next to one another - their calves brushing in a way that got the mage to look over at her with a soft smile. “How are you faring, my love?” The High Elf asked as she rocked easily with the steady movements of her horse beneath her. 

“Sore.” She responded simply, though they both smirked at each other in turn. 

“I’ll go easy on you next time.” Sylvanas offered, receiving a rather derisive snort in response. 

“Or perhaps I just won’t go easy on you.” Jaina retorted good-naturedly. 

They took turns gazing at one-another on the journey to Windrunner Village. Each of them was just as taken with the way the other looked in the light that filtered gently through golden leaves of trees trapped in an endless autumn. At how familiar and yet how surreal it all was. They both knew they could rest easy before the coming battle. Arthas would have realized Dar’khan had fallen through on his end of the bargain by now - and even when that had turned out differently it had taken him time to strike Quel’thalas again. And now with his hope of the gates being corrupted from the inside dashed…

Every calculated, careful thought of war and strategy fled from her head as she saw small, bouncing figures in the distance. Jaina watched the way she shifted restlessly in her saddle as tiny shouts she couldn’t yet hear were all too audible to her lover. She leaned over and stroked her arm gently. Her beloved had always been so good with children. And she knew she’d missed that terribly. 

As they got closer to the village she watched as Sylvanas slid from her horse but changed her routine with the little ones slighty - heading for the back of the small gathering and lifting the youngest girl into her arms. “Hello, shy one.” She murmured to her as she reached for one of her saddle bags and pulled out the bundles of candies she’d brought from Silvermoon - leaving them to the eldest child to pass out as she continued holding the girl. 

“Why are you always standing back there, hm? When you know I’ve enough presents for all of you?” Sylvanas asked her as she stepped away from the pack currently fighting in good humor over who would get which bundle. 

Jaina dismounted as she caught up carefully, not wanting to disturb the moment. 

“I just...I mostly wanna see you. More than the presents.”

“Oh? And why is that?” She asked, brows furrowed slightly in genuine interest as she brought the child close and allowed her to sit on her arm and hold onto one of her shoulders for balance. 

The child shrugged. “Gonna be a Ranger some day. Like mom. And you’re the best Ranger there is.”

Sylvanas gave her a warm, encouraging smile before lowering her back down to her feet. “Perhaps one day you’ll be the best Ranger there is. And it will be I who teeters out here on my old legs to catch a glimpse of you.”

The normally rather serious little girl brightened in a way that almost made Jaina’s heart ache before she ran off - no doubt to brag about her compliment to the others that had left ahead of her. 

Jaina took Sylvanas’s hand silently and brought it to her lips to kiss over her the back of it. She could only gather that the child hadn’t made it through the war from the interaction she’d witnessed and she was surprised that instead of brooding Sylvanas seemed content as they walked rather lazily up the path towards the spires - the horses having parted ways towards the village of their own accord.  
“Walk along the beach with me?” Sylvanas asked softly as she stroked over Jaina’s hand with her thumb and led her past the spires towards the gently rolling, light blue sea beyond. Their footsteps left a trail of prints that gradually faded into the sugar-white grains beneath them. They simply enjoyed each others company for a long while before Jaina finally spoke.

“It was always so beautiful here.” Her voice was a whisper - her eyes cast towards the sea as Sylvanas stopped them slowly. 

“And always moreso with you here.” She responded, looking down at Jaina as the mage turned only to find her lover’s hand between them. On the ring she held in her fingertips - the back of her hand resting against Jaina’s chest. She released a sharp breath as her eyebrows furrowed. It was _her_ ring. 

“I always remembered more than you thought, dalah’surfal. Sometimes it just hurt too much to allow myself to admit it.”

“You...you hadn’t yet...it was after this…” 

Sylvanas leaned down and kissed Jaina’s lips gingerly - the hand not holding the ring sliding down her left arm until she sank down onto a knee in front of her in the sand. 

“Sylvanas.” Jaina breathed, her voice breaking as her beloved looked up at her, still holding her hand as the waves behind her just barely dampened the tails of her jacket - so close were they to the calm waters. 

“Jaina Proudmoore. You have loved me. Oh, you have loved me. With more than you ever had to give. You have given me the best of you selflessly. In countless ways. You have turned back time itself for me without a second thought…” She moved the ring closer to Jaina’s hand, watching the way the younger woman’s fingers trembled faintly against her own steady ones. But her own throat ached and the next time she looked up her glowing eyes were glistening visibly. 

“I would spend… _every_ moment of the rest of my life trying to give you in return even half of what you’ve given to me. I would love you until the sun burned out over the horizon and keep loving you even still. And with my last breath, I will only tell you again that your heart has always been the mate to my own.” 

Jaina did nothing to stop the tears that slipped down her cheeks - her chest jerking slightly as sobs wracked her that she didn’t allow to bubble past the surface. 

“Marry me, Jaina. Please.” She whispered the last few words and as Jaina nodded she slipped the ring on her finger - catching her in her arms as they both crumpled against one another. 

Sylvanas clutched at Jaina’s robes and she grasped fistfuls of her jacket. “Yes?” She asked - her voice shaking against Jaina’s ear. 

“Yes. Yes...Sylvanas...always. When...when?” She asked, lifting a hand to stroke along one of her lover’s ears and down along the side of her face, holding onto the hem of her collar lest she attempt to pull away. 

“Your mother requested we wait until after the war.” 

It was Jaina that pulled back then - her slightly reddened eyes shocked and almost confused. “What do you mean?” 

“I’m sure she’ll want to be involved in the planning of it, my darling girl. Perhaps not your father...he doesn’t seem the type.” She lifted a hand to wipe some of Jaina’s tears away despite it being a fruitless effort at this point. “They gave me their blessing, after all.”

She watched as Jaina seemed almost crippled by the revelation and she gave up on her uniform entirely, settling down in the damp sand beneath them and drawing her lover against her slowly so they could ride this out together. And every storm to come. No matter how rough or merciless. It was going to be different this time. She could feel it in her bones.

"You Are The Reason"

Calum Scott, Leona Lewis

There goes my heart beating  
Cause you are the reason  
I'm losing my sleep  
Please come back now

There goes my mind racing  
And you are the reason  
That I'm still breathing  
I'm hopeless now

I'd climb every mountain  
And swim every ocean  
Just to be with you  
And fix what I've broken  
Oh, cause I need you to see  
That you are the reason

There goes my hands shaking  
And you are the reason  
My heart keeps bleeding  
And I need you now

If I could turn back the clock  
I'd make sure the light defeated the dark  
I'd spend every hour, of every day  
Keeping you safe

I'd climb every mountain  
And swim every ocean  
Just to be with you  
And fix what I've broken  
Oh, cause I need you to see  
That you are the reason

I don't wanna fight no more  
I don't wanna hide no more  
I don't wanna cry no more  
Come back I need you to hold me  
(You are the reason)  
Come a little closer now  
Just a little closer now  
Come a little closer  
I need you to hold me tonight

I'd climb every mountain  
And swim every ocean  
Just to be with you  
And fix what I've broken  
Cause I need you to see  
That you are the reason

 

 


	21. Hero

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

Jaina frowned as she lowered the flap of their tent behind her to find Sylvanas sitting on the side of their cot with her head bowed resting against her bow. They’d been marching and riding for days to the position of their last stand - this time advancing on the Scourge army’s approach instead of retreating from it. The defense they had amassed was nothing short of insurmountable. The time Dark’han’s death had bought them allowed for negotiations and entreaties for aid that there had never been time for the first time around.

The gathering of seasoned warriors and mages outside had the fields and the night skies above aglow with campfires. And yet still Sylvanas couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that overwhelmed her. She didn’t even look up as Jaina approached and set their dinner to the side before taking her bow from her gently as she moved to straddle her lap. That got her attention well enough and she felt gentle yet firm hands stroking up her thighs through the white breeches that had replaced her usual robes as her lover’s gaze finally rose to meet her own. Without saying a word the Ranger-General let her head fall against Jaina’s chest and a shuddering breath left her in response to the feeling of hands in her hair - still damp from the cursory washing she’d given herself in the mage’s absence.

“You know how badly I don’t want you in this fight tomorrow, don’t you?” The High Elf finally murmured, though there was no real fight in her about it anymore. She knew why Jaina wouldn’t leave. And in all honesty, she didn’t want her to. Not this time. 

“You’ve made it abundantly clear, my darling.” Jaina responded gently before kissing the top of her head. “Your sister was looking for you earlier.”

“I’ll find her soon. I didn’t expect...I didn’t expect things to change so drastically. Having everyone I love here is…”

“Different. I know.” Jaina lifted her lover’s head. “Much different than what happened to you. I promise you I will not allow it this time.”

“I’m much more worried about you than myself.” Sylvanas corrected gently, standing with Jaina still against her and allowing her to slide to the floor of their tent slowly. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She leaned in and kissed her lover - a meeting of lips intended to be light that instead turned into something slow, deep, and lingering. Jaina finally pulled back - but not so far that she was out of reach. “I’ll be waiting, my General.” She pressed a hand to her chest and took a step back, running her thumb over the golden metalwork of her battle regalia for a moment. 

Sylvanas looked at her for a moment longer and reached for her cloak, throwing it over her shoulders hastily and tugging her hood on as she slipped out of the tent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Vereesa.” Sylvanas greeted warmly as she approached her and Rhonin talking outside the tent they were sharing, receiving her husband with an easy hug before she looked to Vereesa who had saluted her. “None of that, little moon.” Sylvanas admonished gently, pulling her close and wrapping her in a firm embrace. “How fare you and your Farstriders?” She asked, pulling back to hold her youngest sibling at arm's length to look her over.

“Ready to get a piece of him. You’ve had them out in the countryside for weeks and we’ve seen no action. They’re as restless as I am.” Sylvanas nodded her understanding and glanced up at Rhonin as he lifted a hand. “I need to see to my own unit for a moment. I’ll leave the two of you to catch up.” 

She nodded her head and lifted an arm for her sister to take it, walking through perfectly arranged lines of tents as everyone readied themselves for a nights rest - and for the battle to come. As they walked she wondered how much happier her sister would be, now, if all went to plan. A husband to grow old with - a father who would be there for her future children. She felt Vereesa’s eyes on her and looked down at her with a smile. 

“You’ve come so far over the years, Moon.” Sylvanas complimented her softly once they reached the edge of camp - out of earshot of anyone nearby. “You’ve made me a proud General..and an even prouder sister. And I have something to ask of you.”

Vereesa wasn’t used to these compliments. As loving as her sister had always been - she was a stern leader. That was part of the reason she was the woman she was today. “Of course.” She responded, turning to face her and give her her full attention. The adoration in the younger woman’s eyes struck her more deeply than she was prepared for. It had been so long since she’d seen that look. 

“After this is over...and I _do_ expect to win this battle. I mean to retire.” 

Vereesa was a little stunned at the admission. For some reason, she’d always envisioned her sister as Ranger-General indefinitely. It hadn’t ever occurred to her how impossible that was. “I...you’ve served honorably. I would support whatever decision you saw fit to make. I’m certain Lor’themar will make an excellent-”

“You.” Sylvanas cut her off simply. “You would make an excellent General. Especially with Theron as your second in command.”

She managed not to chuckle at the expression on Vereesa’s face. The younger elf had long followed in her footsteps - looked up to her in so many ways. “And of course whatever happens between you and Rhonin - Lor’themar will be more than adequate to act in your stead for as long as you need.” 

“What...what does that mean?” Vereesa asked, still shocked by what everything her sister had just said. 

“Well, I expect to be an aunt at some point. Surely you wouldn’t deny me that pleasure?” 

Vereesa couldn’t help but laugh at that and Sylvanas was surprised to find her arms suddenly thrown around her in a tight hug. She settled into it easily and held her little sister against her tightly. “Fight well tomorrow, Little Moon. It will be an honor to go into battle with the future Ranger-General of Quel’thalas.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did you tell her?” Jaina asked as she pulled back the covers on their cot and moved across the tent to her lover to immediately start unbuckling her armor. She’d been in most of it for the better part of two days, now, and she could tell she was a little stiff from the way she’d stood back up once she’d gotten inside.

“Mhm.” She responded, watching as Jaina began pulling her armor from her tired body to place it on the stand nearby.

“And how did that go over?” She asked, frowning as she revealed a line of bruised skin from one of her pauldron straps. She stroked over it with her fingertips and then removed the other one, fretting over a similar mark on that side. “You should have let me wrap you the other day. We can’t afford for you to go into battle already hurting.”

“Stop worrying, Jaina. You know what we face tomorrow. A couple of bruises is nothing.”

But the look the mage gave her in response caused her to backtrack somewhat. “If it would make you feel better you can wrap me in the morning. As far as Vereesa...she was overjoyed.” 

This made Jaina smile softly as she finally got Sylvanas down to just her soft leather breeches and she retrieved a shirt for her to wear, pulling it over her head for her before she could become too distracted by the sight. Her lover had been training hard for the battle to come. And it showed. Every muscle was chiseled and pronounced and when they laid together now there was little softness in her body. But she didn’t mind. At all. 

“Tell me, then. What happened.” She urged, guiding Sylvanas to their cot and sitting her down on the edge of it before she walked around to the back of it and began kneading her shoulders - finding the knots in them easily and moving from one to the next as she listened happily. 

“You’re really good at that.” Sylvanas murmured after she’d fallen silent for a while.  
“I’m out of practice. I’ll get better again with time.” She responded as she moved onto the cot behind her and pulled her back against her chest. “We couldn’t possibly be more prepared for tomorrow than we are right now, my love.” She could feel her lover was more relaxed, now, and she found the fact soothing to herself as well. 

“I know, Jaina.” Sylvanas reached up and stroked along one of the mage’s arms before pushing her back with her body as she moved to lay down on her side, sighing as her lover pressed up behind her warmly and wrapped an arm around her. “Don’t let anything happen to yourself tomorrow.” The Ranger-General whispered a while later after she’d already dimmed the lantern in their tent so it was almost completely dark. “Please.”

Jaina had thought she was asleep she’d been so still for so long and was surprised at the tender vulnerability. It wasn’t something she’d ever shown her so openly before a battle or even a simple mission or circuit. “I could never leave you, Sylvanas. Trust me - I’m not going anywhere. If that’s what’s been on your mind instead of the sleep that you really need to be getting right now you should have said something sooner.”

“I couldn’t.” Came her soft response - and Jaina felt guilt sting her sharply. It was easy to forget sometimes who she had been for so many years. This new life had been relatively short in comparison. And she’d been doing so well despite it all.

“I’m sorry, Sylvanas.” Jaina murmured, pressing a few gentle kisses to the backs of her broad shoulders before she nuzzled the nape of her neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Flank! Flank!” The Ranger General’s voice rang clearly across the battlefield as a burning mound of flesh landed in the center of a unit of close-combat troops - taking out at least half of them. The Rangers were situated in two groups on either side of the mages furiously casting behind the protection of the High Elf soldiers taking the brunt of the Scourge attack - allowing them to eliminate countless numbers of their enemies. Only this time - they did it faster than they could be replenished.

Jaina looked towards the sound of alarmed voices as an abomination moved up the center of their lines and began casting even as she looked towards Sylvanas - the ground beneath the towering monstrosity starting to ice over before their very eyes. With a quick glance towards Jaina who was situated a few yards from her, she gave her next order. “Fall back!” 

As shards of ice began to rain down on the members of the scourge that took this as a sign of retreat even the Quel’dorei mages were impressed. This clever feint had taken fifty of them in one fell swoop. 

And, so, they pressed on. Inch by inch they pushed the scourge army towards the forests - towards Farstriders waiting high in the trees. And when enough of them passed the line the viciousness the High Elves were truly capable of was a terrible sight to behold. The confusion the surprise attack caused in their ranks allowed them to begin circling their remaining numbers - Jaina conjuring ice walls in a way that funneled them forward instead of away.

And yet, still...Arthas hung back. He hadn’t expected Jaina to be here. This wasn’t how this was supposed to happen. He was supposed to overwhelm them with numbers. And yet he had come upon numbers greater than he could have imagined. The Quel’dorei were an isolated people. And the divided were easily dealt with. This made no sense. 

“Coward!” He turned his head towards the vaguely familiar voice. Jaina was trembling with rage. Sylvanas turned a panicked look towards her as she drew his attention to herself. They hadn’t planned this. What was she doing? 

“Come forward and fight, Arthas! This battle was _your_ doing!” She struck down every monstrosity that thundered towards her as she made her advance and Sylvanas began raining arrows down on anything in her path. 

And then suddenly his attention shifted to the Ranger-General. “Have you been missing these?” His voice was startling to hear again - cold, empty and hollow. And she turned sharply - watching as a line of fallen Rangers crested the hill at their backs. “Shields!” She shouted, knowing all too well just how good their aim was. As she ran towards Jaina she began firing at them while the mages focused on incinerating their arrows before they hit their marks and the more powerful of them worked on shield walls. “Rangers, focus the archers! Now!” 

But far too many arrows of the first barrage got through. “Jaina! The bodies...quickly!” She shouted as she finally made it to her lover, moving so their backs were pressed together as she held off any advancing foes so the mage could do her work - immolating them all before they could be raised against their comrades. 

With the pressure off of her, Jaina was able to create a wall of ice around the battlefield - trapping most of the risen High Elves within the frozen blocks themselves. What nobody expected was to find Arthas trapped inside it with them. He realized what she’d done and finally dropped from his horse heavily - a sneer on his face beneath his helm. “Your progress is astounding, Jaina. Truly. But I grow tired of this.” 

As he advanced she slowly used the pressure of her own shoulders at Sylvanas’s back to turn them so that she stood between her lover and Arthas. He was farther away than she might have liked - but Sylvanas didn’t seem to mind. She drew one of her few remaining arrows from her quiver and knelt down quickly as Jaina shielded her from sight, opening a small vial she’d had in her belt pouch and dipping the tip of the arrow into it. She knew this poison well. It was the same one that had almost ended Arthas’s life once - long ago.

She was so focused on her task she never saw the arrow coming. Not before it pierced the separation of armor between her thigh and the front of her knee - severing one of the tendons there cleanly. 

The vial fell from her hands as she jerked forward - her teeth bared and her eyes almost shut as she hissed sharply and reached down, grasping the protruding end of it and breaking it off with a hoarse sound that would have been inaudible over the sounds of the battle raging around them. 

“My love…” Jaina whispered urgently - keeping her eyes trained on him as he drew his sword. 

She forced herself up with the strength of one leg and rested her bow hand on Jaina’s shoulder as she drew the string back and took aim all in one swift, easy movement. A moment later, Arthas was clutching the arrow protruding from his helm as he fell to his knees and Sylvanas leaned forward against Jaina, gripping her shoulder as she turned to survey the battlefield. 

“I want him alive!” She shouted at the foot soldiers running towards him. “Secure him and clean up this mess!” 

Now that the remaining scourge seemed to be somewhat directionless this would be accomplished easily enough and Jaina allowed her control over the walls and shields to sleep as sweat dripped down her face and along her neck. She was exhausted. But even as tired as she was she found it strange that Sylvanas was still leaning on her even after using her to steady her shot. 

She turned around and caught her arm as she almost fell, her eyes darting down to the leg she was holding away from the ground. “Shit, Sylvanas.” She hissed as she looked at the wound - at the blood oozing thickly down the armor of her calf around both sides of the arrow shaft. 

But already the officers under her had begun taking the lead - no longer needing their General’s orders to do what needed to be done. “I’ll get you a healer. Sit. Please, for the love of god sit down.”

“No.” She managed through gritted teeth, reaching for her own cloak and tearing a strip off it. She wrapped it around her knee and cinched it tightly to stop the bleeding. “When people are no longer in danger of dying. Then get me a healer.” 

It was a fair enough statement. Even now the gravely wounded were being moved to the back of the lines in a mad rush to save their lives. 

With a low, agitated growl Jaina turned and hailed one of the nearest people with a hand-cot. “Take her!” She shouted, watching as the soldiers recognized who the wounded was and rushed over frantically. 

She watched as they pulled her onto the cot. Watched as the pain became so great she could no longer protest and the color had drained from her face. And it killed her. She wasn’t _used_ to feeling pain like this and Jaina knew that. She leaned down as they lifted her and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “I’ll join you soon enough.” She whispered, grasping her hand tightly for a moment. “As soon as I know the bastard is on his way to somewhere he cannot escape from.” 

“Go with her, Jaina.” She turned as she recognized Vereesa’s voice to see her standing with a rather haggard looking Rhonin. “She’s not used to being a pin cushion. She might need some company.” 

They didn’t look too terribly worse for wear. Vereesa had a small laceration across her brow and Rhonin just looked absolutely spent. 

Jaina smiled past her own exhaustion and nodded. “Thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You don’t have to put on such a brave face, you know.” Jaina murmured as she looked down at Sylvanas’s head in her lap, leaned back against the front of one of many hastily constructed triage tents. “I know it hurts.”

Sylvanas reached up and took the hand stroking along her hair and ears in her own - her fingers trembling around it as she guided it to rest against her chest. “You were so beautiful out there.” The High Elf whispered, wincing as she shifted her weight slightly and a new stab of fiery pain made its way up and down her leg. Jaina looked down and watched worriedly as the cloak became darkened with even more blood than what already soaked it. “If I was beautiful you were a goddess.” She murmured soothingly, looking around worriedly for a moment before relief flooded her as a rather tired looking priest made her way over accompanied by an equally bedraggled assistant. 

Sylvanas’s grip on her hand tightened into something painful as the woman untied the makeshift dressing and eyed it for a moment. “We need this armor off, Ranger General.” She stated apologetically even though she’d already started her task. 

Once or twice Jaina watched as she almost lost consciousness until finally her leg was free of the heavy burden of her armor and her breeches were cut away from her knee. The healer shut her eyes and rested a hand over it for just a moment before sighing quietly and looking up at Jaina. “I need you to hold her. Can you?” She asked, pulling a clean cloth from her satchel and folding it in half. 

“Can you do something for the pain, first? Please tell me there’s…”  
Her young assistant handed something to her and she looked down at it. A flask. Great.

She repositioned herself so Sylvanas was propped up and leaned back against her chest and she brought it to her lover’s lips - allowing her a few rather deep sips before she set it aside. The next moments were sheer agony for both of them. Tears burned her eyes as Sylvanas pushed back against her and tried to pant for breath despite how tightly her jaw was clenched. Inch by inch the arrow shaft was pulled from her body and her hands grasped the cloth of the pants against Jaina’s thighs - the material tearing in her grip as it slipped free and a hoarse cry left her. Her head fell back against Jaina’s shoulder and the mage gradually loosened her arms around her shoulders. 

“You’re alright. You’re alright. I’ve got you. I’m right here.” She breathed against her lover’s ear as her chest heaved wildly beneath her arms. As the priestess began her real work she slowly calmed but by the end of it all was barely conscious. 

“There is only so much that can be done, I’m afraid. There’s a lot of damage in there.” The woman explained simply as she packed her satchel - readying herself to move to the next person in need of her care. “She will be able to walk on it when it finishes healing. Past that - I can’t say. She needs to be in Silvermoon or Dalaran as soon as possible if she wants to retain function of that leg at all.” 

She fell silent in response to that - just watching as the pair picked up their things and left. It could have been worse. It could have been so much worse. She just had to keep telling herself that. 

“S...s’a good thing I’m...retiring, huh?” 

She looked down at Sylvanas and some of the despair she was feeling melted away. “Do you find this funny?” The mage asked her softly, lifting a hand to stroke some of the sweat from her cheek with the back of her hand. 

“Hilarious.” 

Jaina shook her head and pulled her lover into a hug that was returned immediately - both of them burying their faces against one another. “We did it.” Jaina breathed, only holding her tighter when she felt and heard her lover begin to weep in her arms. Sylvanas could only nod in response, grasping Jaina’s robes in her hands and drawing as much of her body closer to her as she could manage.

“Hero”  
Enrique Iglesias - (Cover by Irati García)

Would you dance if I asked you to dance?  
Or would you run and never look back?  
Would you cry if you saw me crying?  
And would you save my soul tonight?  
Would you tremble if I touched your lips?  
Or would you laugh? Oh, please tell me this  
Now would you die for the one you love?  
Oh hold me in your arms tonight  
I can be your hero baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away  
Would you swear that you'll always be mine  
Or would you lie? Would you run and hide?  
Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?  
I don't care, you're here tonight  
I Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?  
Well, I don't care, you're here tonight  
I can be your hero baby  
I can kiss away the pain  
I will stand by you forever  
You can take my breath away  
I can be your hero


	22. When You Say Nothing At All

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

“That’s enough for today. You don’t have to push yourself so hard, you know.” Jaina murmured as she stroked gently over her lover’s knee, turning her head so she could kiss the side of it as she supported the older woman’s thigh against her chest. “The healers have already said you’re coming along much more quickly than they could have anticipated.”

Sylvanas licked her lips to wet them and nodded faintly, slowly lowering her leg from the mage’s shoulder and wincing as she moved to sit up beside her. The look of discomfort on her face faded gradually as her lover’s fingertips chilled first the skin around her healed wounds and then the muscle beneath, bringing her relief more quickly than any medicine could have. Her eyes fell shut for a moment before she reached for Jaina’s hand and covered it with her own. She tilted her head to the side to receive the kiss her younger lover pressed to her cheek. 

They’d moved into the lower rooms of the otherwise uninhabited main spire while she was recovering with Lor’themar in her stead and Vereesa preparing to take her place. She’d hoped to be much further along by the time her sister’s ceremony came along and her disappointment in herself manifested in what felt to Jaina like a different way each day. “Hey.” Jaina murmured, reaching up to turn her face towards herself. She looked into Sylvanas’s eyes for a moment and then leaned in to kiss her. 

Sylvanas returned the gesture, though it wasn’t something that turned passionate. It just lingered lovingly for a while as Jaina stroked slowly along her thigh. “Why are you so patient with me?” She finally asked as she rested their foreheads together. Jaina smiled softly and pulled away gradually, retrieving her lover’s pants from the chair beside their bed and laying them down beside her. “It isn’t patience.” She responded as she pulled her nightshirt up and off herself to replace it with a loose, comfortable shirt that was a touch big for her and laced up the center of her chest. One of Sylvanas’s. She’d grown rather fond of stealing her shirts. She caught a glimpse of a smile from her lover out of the corner of her eye while she watched her pull her pants on to make sure she didn’t need any help. 

She knew Sylvanas liked it. It was something so simple. But something they hadn’t really had before. Sure - they’d spent time together. But living together was an entirely new experience and that smile alone would’ve made everything worth it even if she was finding it difficult. But, in truth, she wasn’t. For once - she knew her lover was safe. She knew she would _continue_ to be safe. They both looked up from their tasks at a knock on the arched front doorway that was always open. Now that had taken Jaina some getting used to. They lived so freely, here - so easily. But this land had always belonged to Sylvanas’s family and Jaina knew there was nowhere she felt safer or more at ease.   
“Lor’themar.” Sylvanas greeted as she reached for the cane leaning against the bed, her fingers gripping the silver handle of it tightly as she stood and made her way towards him. “Ranger-General. There was no need for you to get up, I-”

“I’m not an invalid, Lor’themar. Have a seat at the table. You’ve brought the plans for Vereesa’s ceremony, I gather? How is she doing? Is she ready?” 

Jaina turned as Sylvanas moved - her eyes trained on her only slightly uneven gait - at the way she barely even leaned on the cane for support. She knew it was hurting her. But even so - it was heartening. 

“Of course not, Sylvanas. I would never suggest that. But everyone needs time, now and again, to nurse their wounds. You’ve earned that right more than any of us.” 

“Perhaps.” She responded simply as she sat down at the table her and Jaina usually dined at and looked down at the parchments being presented to her. “What is this?” She asked as she glanced up at Lor’themar and turned the document towards him. 

“Your speech. We thought perhaps you would find it helpful to have one prepared for you. What with all you’re going through and all.” Sylvanas narrowed her eyes in good-humored irritation at him and slid it across the table to him. “I’ve thought about what I would have...what I would say on this day for a long time. I don’t need anyone’s words but my own.”

“I figured as much. I tried to save them some writing but...you know the bureaucratic types are incorrigible.” 

She smirked faintly and leaned back in her chair. “Fair enough.” She responded, watching as he began re-ordering the parchments as she finished looking them over until, finally, she seemed satisfied. “Now. Tell me. How is she doing? She’s only come to see me once...which I appreciate. Her level of commitment is admirable.”

Lor’themar smiled at her as he slipped the stack of papers back into the leather bag at his side. “You’ve made the right decision, Sylvanas. I truly don’t think she would ever do anything to let our people down. And certainly not to let you down.” 

His statement caused Sylvanas to look away suddenly - her fingertips tapping the surface of the table lightly as she nodded. This was her Vereesa. Not the woman who had betrayed her by way of letter. This was _her_ Vereesa. Her Little Moon. And she knew how much she loved her. How much she had idolized her and for how long. But, still...it stung. And it was a pain she could share with no one. 

But a gentle presence at her back reminded her that wasn’t the case. Jaina rested a hand on her shoulder as she smiled politely at the Ranger-Lord across from them. “Lor’themar...would you stay for dinner? Or do you have other engagements to attend to?” 

“Oh...no, no Lady Jaina. I best get going. I’m terribly sorry to have kept the two of you for so long. Your hospitality is appreciated.” His tone was genuine and easy despite the fact that he’d recognized the dismissal well enough and when he’d excused himself Jaina looked down at her lover, sliding her hand higher up her shoulder to rest along her neck with her thumb just barely brushing the lobe of her ear. 

“This isn’t then.” She whispered, leaning down as she wrapped both her arms around Sylvanas’s shoulders to hug her tightly from behind. She felt the ease with which her lover relaxed in her arms and a smile played at the corners of her lips. She could remember a time that spanned many, many years of their lives that it took much more than this. 

“I love you.” She murmured after a long while, kissing the top of her head as she pulled away. “I’m going to check on our dinner.” Sylvanas nodded and gave her a soft smile and watched her walk towards large stove on the other side of the room - heated by magic instead of coal. There was a lot about Quel’dorei living Jaina found herself suited to. Particularly how useful her powers were at times. 

She felt Sylvanas’s eyes on her as she worked, chopping some of the root vegetables a few of the village children had gifted them earlier, and she kept working as she heard her lover approach behind her. Normally her agile feet would never have given her away - but the quiet contact the cane made every so often against the floor had become an easily recognizable sound to her. She recognized that over the weeks that had passed since the battle sometimes her lover just needed to be near her without expectations. But she felt her presence get closer than usual until eventually, one hand slid slowly up her side in a way that caused her to forget her task for a moment. 

There was something beseeching about the touch rather than possessive. And it caused images to flash through her mind. Of their fumbled attempts at lovemaking the few times they’d tried since Sylvanas’s injury. Of the fire and passion that built between them in the darkness until, inevitably, her lover stopped them. And every time - Jaina had held her as they caught their breath together and eventually fell asleep in one another’s arms - exhausted and frustrated.

She was pulled back to the present by warm lips against the side of her neck - bared by the braid she had her hair up in. The mage set her knife down slowly and turned, looking up into her beloved’s eyes as she reached out and gently slipped the ornate silver handle of her cane from her grasp, causing her to reach up and hold Jaina’s shoulder for support. “Do you need me, Sylvanas?” She asked quietly. 

The High Elf nodded faintly in response, leaning her head down and nudging Jaina’s jaw gently before she nipped the skin of her throat. 

“Then tell me that you do.” The younger woman breathed as she tilted her head for her slightly and ran a hand through the long, silken strands of her hair that fell forward past her shoulder. 

Sylvanas let out a trembling breath against her neck but remained silent. Jaina could feel the flush rising beneath her skin, however. Could sense her nervousness in the way she shifted slightly against her. And so she turned them slowly, pushing the cutting board she’d been using out of the way and lifting Sylvanas to sit on the counter with her legs on either side of her hips. “Is this okay?” She asked quietly, one hand supporting her leg until she heard Sylvanas murmur that it was. 

Her hands moved slowly up her lover’s strong thighs, then, until they got the laces of the soft brown doe-skin breeches she wore and untied them slowly. “Jaina...you don’t...you don’t have to.” Sylvanas breathed as she cradled the back of the mage’s head and kissed her gently. But her voice trembled with need and Jaina absolutely wanted to. For both of their sakes. 

“Hush, now.” She whispered against the softest lips she’d ever felt. “Put your arms around my neck. Lean into me.” One of her hands was already slipping down the front of her lover’s loosened pants as she did just that, her head pressed against Jaina’s chest as she grasped the loose linen of her shirt and gasped sharply. 

As wary as she’d been of not being able to please her lover - not being as attractive to her - her body was still young, again. It still had needs. And she’d been torturing both of them for weeks. Even that slight touch of fingertips brushing between her legs chased away any lingering doubts nagging at the back of her mind, at least for the moment. 

Sylvanas was immeasurably glad she was already holding onto Jaina as her hand went to work with practiced ease - eventually pressing fingers into her side by side - slowing in response to how tight she was. And how tense. 

“Take a breath.” Jaina murmured into her lover’s ear, bringing a hand up to hold her close. “Relax. It’s just me, my darling. And I need this as badly as you do.” 

“Keep going.” Sylvanas murmured in response - already breathless as she pulled the smaller woman closer, craving more contact than what she was getting. 

Jaina brought her to her peak slowly - in a way that had them both breathing heavily, though soft whimpers caught in Sylvanas’s throat now and then as she jerked slightly against Jaina’s body when it almost became too much. Until it was. It wasn’t a loud, earth-shattering experience...it was something more gentle. More loving. Like an offering Jaina was leaving before her as she went completely tense and her breath caught in her throat. “Come for me.” Jaina murmured, leaning forward into her so that there was nearly no space left between them until finally, Sylvanas wilted against her, surprisingly spent for what would have been an all too common occurrence mere weeks ago.

Jaina nearly lost her legs from beneath herself with the quiet, unexpected power of it all - but she managed to hold it together as her chest heaved against her lover’s and they just enjoyed their closeness until they could both trust themselves to function again. 

“Jaina, let me...let me do something for you.” 

“Of course.” The mage whispered, still a bit breathless. “Tonight in bed if you’re feeling up to it. I won’t have you fall off the counter and undo all our hard work.” She tilted her head up to kiss beneath her jaw as she laced her pants back up and tied them. “Do you want to stay here while I cook?” She asked as she ran the backs of her fingers along the reddened skin that was exposed along her collarbones in the shirt she was wearing.

“You certainly are spoiling me this evening.” Sylvanas replied - a bit of her old, dry humor creeping back into her voice.

“Mm. You deserve it, my General.” Jaina responded as she reached up to tuck some of her hair behind one of her ears before she stroked along her cheek with her thumb. “I hope you’ll return the favor after you’ve had something to eat.” 

“I could have something to eat right now, you know. If you would only let me get down.” 

Jaina raised an eyebrow as she drew the discarded cutting board to the side and began chopping again - having to put a concerted effort into steadying her hands once or twice. “I’d have gotten you off sooner if I would’ve known it would leave you this feisty.” She remarked off-handedly.

“Jaina, do you still want to marry me?” Sylvanas asked suddenly, her brows furrowed as she reached out to stop the mage’s hand. 

“Of course I do. Why would you ask such a thing? I’ve wanted to marry you since the _first_ time I was twenty years old. You’ve made me wait long enough.” 

“Then marry me after the ceremony. Before my sister has to leave.”

Jaina once again sat the knife down and turned her full attention onto her - taking in the earnestness in both her voice and her expression. “Sylvanas...the ceremony is next week.”

“Yeah. Next week. Marry me next week.” 

Jaina felt as though she didn’t have any breath left in her lungs and yet still she managed to speak. “Absolutely.”

"When You Say Nothing At All"  
Allison Krauss - (Cover: Lauren Duski)

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart  
Without saying a word you can light up the dark  
Try as I may I could never explain  
What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me  
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud  
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd  
Old Mr. Webster could never define  
What's being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me  
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me  
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all

 


	23. With Arms Wide Open

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

“It’s definitely possible, Jaina...I...I’m surprised, that’s all.”

The mage lifted a brow at Liadrin and smiled. “Why are you surprised?” 

Liadrin looked around her rooms for a moment as she combed through the thoughts in her head. “You’re just so young. You have plenty of time to...to do this later. After you’ve both had a chance to settle into life with one-another.” 

The mage nodded softly. “I humbly disagree, High Priestess. I may manage to squeeze out a few more years than most of my kind, but I want to see our children grow. I want to be there for her while it happens. I’ve been through more and seen more than you might think. You’ll have to take my word for it.”

Liadrin bit her lower lip for a moment and took a sip of one of the glasses of cordial they both had. Eventually, Jaina felt the tension in her own body ease as a small smile graced Liadrin’s face. She remembered a time there was little life left in this woman’s eyes. Even as golden and light-filled as they’d been. And now she looked so...young? But then the war and subsequent years had taken much from almost everyone Jaina had known. And she knew all too well she looked just as young to Liadrin. 

“Then, of course, I’ll help you.” She finally acquiesced - a faint glimmer in her eyes speaking to the happiness this idea brought her. “You two...you two are going to make wonderful parents. Have you thought of who you might like to sire the child?”

“Zendarin.” Jaina responded almost immediately.

“The last male of her immediate bloodline. You’ve put much thought into this, then. You could have gone to him directly, you know. I’m sure he would’ve been happy to-”

“And sleep with him? No, thank you. I’d rather not watch Sylvanas put an arrow through her own cousin’s heart.” Jaina looked amused but she meant it. If Liadrin hadn’t agreed she’d have searched until she found someone who could help before she would ever have let someone other than her beloved touch her. 

“Of course. I meant no offense, Jaina. We usually aren’t so...black and white here. But I’ve seen the way she looks at you and I’m all too aware that might have been quite a dangerous position to put him in. I should have thought of that before I spoke. Well, alright, then. And you’ve discussed this with Sylvanas, I’m sure?”

“This, in particular? No. But we’ve wanted children for many….for a while, now. I want to be sure this works before I tell her. It would crush her if something were to go wrong.” Jaina fiddled with the glass in front of her, though she still seemed a bit too nervous to drink from it. It made Liadrin wonder what she was up to.  
“Alright, then. That - I can understand. She has been through much these past years. Whenever you and Zendarin come to an agreement we can discuss things further.” 

“Well…”

Jaina couldn’t help but wonder if Zendarin had timed his knock at Liadrin’s door as they both turned to look and Liadrin turned a withering gaze towards her. 

With a sigh Liadrin got up and opened it. “Zendarin.” She greeted flatly, allowing the mage to greet her with a hug. “Hello. I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

Jaina watched the exchange with amusement - noting just how proud of himself the young mage looked to have surprised Liadrin so thoroughly. Gods. Yes. Same bloodline, for sure. 

“I take it the two of you have already spoken, then?”

Zendarin nodded and pulled a chair up to the table, plopping down in it and resting his hands in his lap. “Yep.” He responded, looking between the two women with a grin. “I come running at the first opportunity to even slightly agitate the powers that be in Silvermoon. Not to mention I was promised there would be good food at the wedding. Declining the bride-to-be’s proposal didn’t seem like the best way to get my hands on it.” 

He was dressed rather simply for a Silvermoon mage. Ruddy red robes and simple pauldrons - his staff likely left in his rooms. But he certainly looked like a Windrunner in every respect. Pale golden hair - a warm skin-tone and high cheekbones. 

“And I...suppose you’d like to start trying soon, then?” 

“Very well, then. You know - it’s been a long time since I’ve been tasked with...things the average priestess might be more adept at than I. I do know I can’t guarantee it will take the first time. It might. But we might have to try again. Are you prepared for that?” 

Jaina glanced over at Zendarin and he shrugged as his brows rose. “It’s something I’m happy to do, Liadrin. My cousin has done much for our people. I’m honored to be a part of something that could bring her so much happiness.” 

Liadrin nodded as she moved across her rooms towards a large armoire and opened it, pillaging through it for a moment before she walked over and plopped a cup down in front of him. “Get to it, then. I have other - much less strange things to tend to today. And - please - use the bathroom farthest in the back. And don’t make a mess.”

Zendarin excused himself as a faint blush rose in his face now that the older elf had properly knocked his ego down a few pegs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I don’t understand how you’re so calm, Sylvanas.” Vereesa muttered quietly as she finished smoothing out the shoulders of the former Ranger-General’s dress uniform and stepped back to take a look at her. She was wearing similar attire. The colors she’d chosen for her own service were slightly different. Pale blue and silver instead of the deeper blues and golds Sylvanas had always worn.

“Because, Little Moon. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.” She responded quietly as she watched her younger sister reach up to fuss with her makeup - simple eyeliner that complimented the grey in her eyes and a barely noticeable shimmer on her lips. Sylvanas had already seen it. It was flawless. But it seemed Vereesa was determined to make up for how nervous she _wasn’t_.

“I was practically a disaster when I married Rhonin and I love him to death. I just don’t understand it.” She muttered, pulling a few more strands of hair from where a majority of it was pulled back so that it framed her sister’s face just so. She’d always admired Sylvanas’s beauty. But today - today was something different. She was so incredibly at peace. It seemed to make her skin look warmer - her hair shine brighter. And the easy smile that had been plastered on her face for most of the morning was infectious. 

“Are you _sure_ you want me to officiate?” Vereesa asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. 

“You’re the Ranger-General of Silvermoon. Who else would I want by my side on my wedding day?” 

“Right. By your side. A bridal maid or something. Not-”

 

“Ah, it’s too late for all that. You’ve already got your dress blues on.” 

“This isn’t one of the normal duties of a Ranger-General and you know it. How many people did you marry, exactly?”

Sylvanas chuckled and moved to reach for the glass of water she’d left nearby only to have it taken from her hands. “Your lips. Please. You’re going to kill me with your constant need of touch-ups today.”

“Fine. And not many. One or two couples - rangers, usually. Who didn’t want all the pomp and circumstance of a traditional wedding.” 

“Right. And you have me marrying the two of you in front of what feels like half the world’s population.” She complained - albeit good-naturedly.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Vereesa. It isn’t half the world’s population.” Sylvanas chided gently though she was a bit surprised as her sister took her by the arm and led her to the window that overlooked the large courtyard outside along with the path that led to the spires. 

“Shit.” Sylvanas whispered as her eyes widened and Vereesa pulled her back from the window - still nervous, but altogether pleased with herself. 

It really did seem that way. Kul Tirans mingled with Kirin Tor and Quel’dorei alike. It was a sight she knew she never would’ve seen where they’d come from. And it stunned her. 

“You see? When will you realize how important you are to people?” Vereesa asked as she finally seemed satisfied with her older sister’s appearance. 

“They’re here to see Jaina, Vereesa. Let’s be honest with ourselves.”

“Mmm.” Vereesa began making her way towards the stairs that led to the lower levels of the spire. “You must not have seen the two of you together very much. It’s quite a sight, Sylvanas. I’ll see you out there.” 

Sylvanas turned towards Vereesa only to find her gone - already halfway down the stairs, she was sure. All she knew was she needed to be with Jaina right now. More than anything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I must be the proudest father that ever was right now.” Daelin said with a smile as he looked at his daughter in the mirror he’d found her standing in front of. She was dressed in an ornate white gown with wide strips of material from the waist down that hung against lace in the deep blue of House Proudmoore - her hair held up with ribbon twined through her braid that matched that same blue. And, incidentally, the blue of Sylvanas’s uniform. Though that hadn’t been planned. It just seemed like another dose of fate among the many that had been sprinkled in over the course of their life together.

Her gaze shifted to the smile on his face and she suddenly feared ruining all the hard work her mother had invested into her over the last few hours as she felt a lump form at the back of her throat.

“You clean up nicely, father.” She responded as she turned to face him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. It was the first time they’d embraced in a long time. Albeit much, much longer for Jaina. 

He simply chuckled softly and patted her back for a moment before giving in. “Your mother is going to be furious if you dirty this jacket, you know. She had it tailored for me.” 

She nodded and pulled back from the hug and he caught a tear as it slipped from her eye before it could leave a trail down her face. “This is the one then, my daughter?” He asked in a gentle voice as he drew her chin up so he could look down into her eyes. 

Jaina would never get over the kindness and love in them being reflected back to her again after what had come to pass in the hell she’d taken her and her beloved from. 

“She’s always been the one, father.” 

“Ah, then I dare anyone to have a word to say about it. Lest they find themselves in a duel of honor against the Grand Admiral of Kul Tiras.” 

Jaina couldn’t help but laugh at the feigned pompousness in his voice and it had its desired effect - steadying her enough for what was to come. “Shall we, then?” She nodded and opened the portal they would need - taking one last look at her familiar bedroom in Proudmoore keep where she’d been sequestered at her mother’s orders since the previous day. 

“Katherine!” He called, guiding Jaina forward with a hand on her back. “The sooner we get this over with the sooner you and I can enjoy our empty nest!” 

“ _Daelin_!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas looked over the gathering of peoples as she stood near her sister. “By the Light, there is even an Aspect here.” She whispered as her eyes found Nozdormu standing quietly in the back. His eyes met hers all too quickly and her brows furrowed at the small smile playing on his lips.

“And he’s wearing no more clothing than usual.” Vereesa remarked dryly before her breath caught in her throat as the sound of marching found her ears. The sight of the Kul Tiran honor guard cresting the hill made her shift where she stood and Vereesa’s eyes darted to her knee warily. “Are you-”

“I’m fine.” Sylvanas breathed as everyone found a place to sit and the Ranger contingent that matched the number of Kul Tiran soldiers seemed to materialize out of the crowd and line the path to the make-shift aisle that was carpeted beautifully in the fallen leaves that colored their world so vividly.  
It was all timed so perfectly. The moment the Kul Tiran guard’s pikes hit the ground and tilted forward her Rangers crossed their fists over their chest in a salute for the soon-to-be wife of their former General. 

And then Jaina made her way over the hill on her father’s arm. Sylvanas knew that this moment above all others would be one that she would never forget. 

“Vereesa…” She whispered, her hand suddenly trembling around the band in her velvet-gloved hand that matched the ring Jaina already wore - that would rest against it perfectly for the rest of their days.

“I see her.” Her sister responded so quietly only Sylvanas would hear. “Everyone does.” 

And she was right. There wasn’t a single eye among all who’d gathered that wasn’t glued to her approach. She felt as though she was suspended in time. She could scarcely breathe. All she could hear was her own heartbeat in her ears. And when Jaina and Daelin finally made it to the alter that looked to have been woven together from the trees themselves it all came rushing back to her. 

Daelin leaned up slightly as Sylvanas leaned down and she kissed beside his cheek.  
“Take care of her, won’t you?” He asked quietly as he still held his daughter’s waist. 

“Until I draw my last breath, Admiral.”

He nodded and brought a hand up to wipe his face quickly before he released Jaina to her. Sylvanas took her hand immediately and looked into her eyes as she swallowed thickly, struggling to function in any aspect of the word. 

_Breathe._ Jaina mouthed to her with a gentle smile before they both turned to look at Vereesa as she began speaking. 

“All those who have come today - have come to witness one of the most important unions between two peoples in our lifetimes. A joining of two great powers of Azeroth...and of two people who embody what a joining is meant to be. Sylvanas Windrunner - Former Ranger-General of Quel’thelas - And Lady Jaina Proudmoore of the Kul Tiran Admiralty and of the Kirin Tor.” 

She gathered herself and glanced down at the book in her hands for just a moment and Sylvanas looked down as she felt Jaina’s hand take her other one and pull her slightly closer. When their eyes met again she was all but lost in the wave of blue warmth that engulfed her. It was mutual. 

“Jaina…” She looked at the mage and couldn’t help but smile as she seemed unable to look back at her. “Do you accept this union - do you still wish to be joined forever before the eyes of all those present?”

“Yes.” She whispered as her voice caught in her throat before she repeated herself more firmly. “Yes.” 

“For what reasons?” Vereesa asked, then, and Jaina was completely unaware of all the attention being raptly paid for her as she began to speak - addressing Sylvanas directly instead of Vereesa or anyone else for that matter. 

“For so many reasons. For the way you smiled at me the first time I saw you. For the fact that you’ve looked at me that same way all this time. I know with every fiber of my being that you are and always will be everything that I’ve wanted in this life. That you will walk by my side proudly and without regret and that nothing will ever come between us. I know this because nothing ever has...and so much has tried. I promise you I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you and cherishing you with everything I have and more. I promise I will give you the life you’ve always deserved. And that I won’t ever - not for a single moment - not love you just as much as I do right now. In fact - I know I’ll love you even more tomorrow. And every tomorrow thereafter.” 

Vereesa was slightly stunned - even as professional as she’d managed to be thus far. But Sylvanas...Sylvanas looked like she was ready to faint and sob simultaneously. 

“And Sylvanas...my sister. Do you accept this union, as well?”

“Yes. With all my heart.” 

“For what reasons?” Vereesa urged, hoping against hope she would somehow manage a few sentences. 

“Because...because no one has ever...and no one will ever love me the way you do. It isn’t possible.” Her voice was trembling slightly but it was still clear and easily heard even among the quiet sniffling scattered throughout their audience. “Because I can’t imagine not wanting to keep you near me - to keep you safe. I can’t imagine ever again not being able to wake up next to you or hold you in my arms whenever I want to. You have given me _everything_. So, so much of yourself...and every moment of it, no matter how trying, has been more than worth it. I know that I will never want for anything that you can’t give me. And I hope I am able to do the same for you for all the time we have left to us.” 

She wanted to lift her hand - to brush the tears away from Jaina’s face that had slipped down and left damp trails in their wake. But she knew she had them, too. 

“And do the two of you have physical tokens of your binding to one another?”  
Sylvanas had nearly forgotten. She looked down into the hand Jaina was still holding and pulled it back, watching as her own fingers trembled as she slipped the band onto Jaina’s. The mage reached into the sash at her waist, then, and produced a simple silver band that, when turned a certain way, seemed to have faint veins of energy within it. The mage helped her remove the glove from her left hand and Vereesa took it from them, tucking it into her belt pouch and watching as they completed what was currently a very difficult task for them. As the band settled on her ring finger Sylvanas looked up at Jaina slowly. It was as though she could feel her lover’s presence in it. Something soft and soothing settled deeply within the back of her mind. Jaina merely smiled as she stroked over it. 

“Then before all those gathered here who have witnessed your love - your commitment to carry that love on for as long as you both are able - I, Vereesa Windrunner, Ranger-General of Silvermoon, pronounce you joined by the eternal bonds of marriage.” 

They didn’t wait for permission to kiss. They just did. Sylvanas lifted Jaina from her feet against her - shocking everyone who knew of her injury, including Jaina, herself. But she didn’t fight it. Cheers erupted from the audience once the spell over them was broken as they kissed passionately while somehow managing to keep it at least mildly appropriate.

Slowly Sylvanas lowered her beloved back to the ground and brought her hands up to cradle her face as neither of them could help the emotion pouring from them. She wiped tears with her thumbs only to find new ones replacing them immediately. “I love you.” She whispered, leaning down to kiss her again. “I love you, Jaina. So much. You’ve made me the happiest woman in the world.” 

Jaina nodded and wrapped her arms around Sylvanas’s waist, pressing close to her as her shoulders shook a few times before she was able to reign herself in. “I love you, too. Gods, do I love you.” 

Vereesa reached out and touched both their shoulders before glancing towards the waiting audience they both seemed to have forgotten. 

They relented reluctantly and walked, hand-in-hand, down the aisle to an overwhelming outpouring of love and support. It had been something beautiful. Sacred. At a time when it seemed the world wanted nothing more than to strip all that away. They had all needed this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nozdormu watched as the newlyweds mingled politely with their guests. Found it funny that they always seemed to gravitate towards each other - even if only to touch hands for just a moment. He waited for Jaina to naturally drift in his direction before making his way towards her. She looked up at him as the people who had been chattering more at her than with her seemed more inclined to step aside in response to his presence than linger near her. “Hello, young one.” He greeted with a smile. Jaina eyed him warily - a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

“No need to be concerned. I simply came to tell you that what you’ve accomplished is...quite impressive. For a mortal, that is.” 

Jaina felt relief flood her at that and he laughed lightly. “And to bring you this token of my appreciation...call it a wedding gift.”

Where there had been nothing in his hand before, suddenly there was a small, delicate golden chain hanging from his hand. She reached for it and he released it into her hand gently - watching as she looked at the tiny vial attached to it made to look like a simple elongated pendant. But the golden particles of sand trapped within it seemed to shift and swirl even when she held it still. “Is this-”

“Wear it always. May your days together be long and full of life.” He said quietly, glancing down at her stomach and then back up to her - his vision re-focusing in the oddest of ways. “The three of you, of course.” 

“...What? How..how could you possibly...” Her eyes narrowed and she looked up at him, her hand moving to her stomach where he had just been looking. 

“I see all things, little mage. And I’ve helped you more than enough. We are even.” 

She watched silently as he walked away - one hand clutching the necklace and the other hovering over her own stomach. She had no idea how long she stood there - only that eventually she felt Sylvanas’s hand on her back as the necklace was taken from her. 

“A gift from an Aspect…” Sylvanas murmured, examining it first and then lowering it against her chest before she clasped it behind her neck. “The Sands of Time, no less...I take it they’re happy to have regained their immortality?” 

Jaina nodded numbly, reaching up behind herself to feel Sylvanas against her. 

“I told you...a long, long time ago that you were no ordinary human.” She murmured, turning her in her arms to pull her into a hug. “What else did he have to say? Did...did he say something to upset you?”

Jaina shook her head and stroked along her lover’s back. “No. No, not at all.” 

“Good.” She responded, kissing Jaina’s temple before she took her hand and led her back to the wedding party. “We have a reception to attend, a feast to survive, and then I want your arms around me in our cabin until I’m in danger of dying of thirst and hunger.”

"With Arms Wide Open"  
Creed - (Cover: Boyce Avenue)

Well I just heard the news today  
It seems my life is gonna change  
I close my eyes, begin to pray  
Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open  
Under the sunlight  
Welcome to this place  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready  
To be the man I have to be  
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side  
We stand in awe, we've created life

With arms wide open  
With arms wide open  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open, wide open

If I had just one wish  
Only one demand  
I hope he's not like me  
I hope he understands  
That he can take this life  
And hold it by the hand  
And he can greet the world  
With arms wide open

With arms wide open  
Under the sunlight  
Welcome to this place  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
Now everything has changed  
I'll show you love  
I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open  
With arms wide open

I'll show you everything  
With arms wide open, wide open

 


	24. Gods & Monsters

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

“This isn’t our cabin.” Sylvanas murmured in confusion as she looked around slowly. It was larger. There was a separate bedroom - better cooking amenities. It was beautiful. The windows on the side facing the sea were so tall almost none of the stunning view was obscured. All the walls and floors were freshly sanded and smooth stained a soothing, cool grey color. Instead of rough-hewn wood, all the furniture seemed to be expertly crafted and embellished with intricate carvings clearly of Kul Tiran origin.

“It is.” Jaina responded with a smile as she moved behind her lover and wrapped her arms around her waist. “My parents’ gift to us. They questioned why I would want something so remote...but they realized we both probably need somewhere we can get away and not be bothered from time to time.” 

For a moment as Sylvanas shut her eyes she could almost see the dark, dingy refuge the small home used to be as she slid one of their bags from her shoulder onto the floor. “It’s...it’s stunning, Jaina. This place...it means a lot to me. Because of you.” She turned in the mage’s arms and just looked at her for a while.

“It means a lot to me for the same reason.” Jaina responded as she leaned up to kiss the taller woman’s cheek before pulling away to walk towards the bedroom, gathering the bag Sylvanas had dropped on her way. 

“You should draw us a bath while I unpack. You’ve been on that knee all day and I can tell you’re hurting.” She didn’t even look at Sylvanas as she spoke but she could tell she was certainly getting a look in return. She’d gotten the look often enough over the years. 

“I’m fine, Jaina. But...a soak would be nice.” 

And Jaina didn’t hear her for a while as she organized their clothing - finding it strange for there to be no armor in any of it. No weapons aside from the bow and quiver that had already been left by the door next to her staff. And even then she knew Sylvanas had only brought them with the intention to hunt. She found herself wondering if she would enjoy teaching their child to hunt. No...she knew she would. 

“What are you thinking about?” Sylvanas asked in a gentle tone from the doorway of the bathroom. 

Jaina nearly dropped the shirt she was holding as she turned around. “Just…” She trailed off as her mouth suddenly went dry. Sylvanas was leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed beneath her breasts completely nude. So nonchalant it was almost agitating. It had been so long since she’d seen her like this...so long since the older woman had felt comfortable enough. She was slightly softer, now. Still well-muscled...but feminine in a way that made Jaina want to touch her more than she could remember ever having wanted anything in her life. 

“What?” Sylvanas asked as she stood upright and rested a hand on the door. “Am I not allowed to be naked around my wife? I’ll be in the bath.” Jaina would’ve thought she was hurt if she didn’t catch the smirk she wore as she retreated into the bathroom. Her _wife_. The word hit her long after it had already been said and she slowly pressed the last shirt - Sylvanas’s shirt - into the drawer she’d been filling before sliding it shut. 

By the time she got out of her clothing and made it into the bathroom she found Sylvanas dozing lightly in the tub - her arms and head resting along the back of it and her eyes shut. She moved towards her and lowered herself onto her knees, resting a hand on her shoulder as she tilted her head and brushed along her ear with the bridge of her nose. 

“Mmm…” Jaina watched her shift slightly in the water and marveled as she tilted her head for more attention to her ear. Jaina hadn’t ever been able to get the sensation there quite right over the years no matter how adept at working magic into her body she’d gotten. They were either painfully sensitive or the reverse. “Did you miss that, my darling?” She asked quietly against it before her lips brushed one of the golden rings adorning it. She took the quiet huff of breath she got in response and the sudden swell of her chest as a positive and she bit the edge of it near the tip lightly, slowly sliding her hand down the front of her lover’s body until she found one of her breasts and cradled it in her hand, just barely grazing her nipple with her thumb now and then. 

“I like it when you call me your wife, by the way.” She whispered as she ran her lips further down the long, delicate length of the ear that had started shifting faintly now and again - especially when her lover’s breathing seemed to get heavier. 

“That’s what you are.” 

The simplicity of the statement...and the firm possessiveness behind it caused her grip to tighten slightly and Sylvanas pushed her chest up into Jaina’s hand. 

“If you don’t get into this tub with me you’re going to find yourself bent over it in a moment, my love.” 

“Mm..and what if I don’t want to?” She asked even as she stood slowly, watching as her lover’s eyes opened to find her positioned almost over her head the way she had it leaned back. 

Sylvanas analyzed the situation for a moment before reaching up suddenly to grasp her hips and hold her still. “Then stand there.” She murmured as she lifted herself just enough that she could reach her with her mouth. 

Jaina hadn’t been expecting such a physical response to her teasing and she leaned forward suddenly, grasping the edge of it as a sharp curse left her lips. Her legs were shaking almost immediately as Sylvanas’s tongue lapped at her clit - purposely over-stimulating her at first until she eased into it. “Wait...wait...fuck…” She gasped out, pulling at the hands holding her until she felt her lover’s grip weaken as she sank back into the tub. “Fiend.” Jaina gasped out, pulling her hips away and shuddering slightly as her body made its agitation at being denied known. 

“You put it there.” Sylvanas mumbled sulkily before lifting herself from the tub and reaching for a nearby towel. 

Jaina smiled. That was true enough. And she didn’t know what she’d been expecting. “I’ll see you in the bedroom.” She responded shortly before leaving her lover to dry off. 

Sylvanas heard her rummaging in their bags as she hung the towel up to dry and when she walked in her eyes fell to the harness Jaina was holding. The mage looked up at her - a level of heat in her gaze that caught Sylvanas off-guard. “Come here.” She ordered - though her tone was almost coaxing - and Sylvanas did. She stood in front of Jaina - small rivulets of water running from her hair down her body in such a way that the mage’s gaze followed their path for a moment. “How is your knee?” She asked distractedly. 

“Certainly healthy enough for me to give you what you’re needing.” She responded, taking the harness from her lover and leaning down to step into it. Jaina watched the supple leather slide up her lover’s legs - watched as her strong hands tightened the buckles against her hip bones and secured them. “Fuck, Sylvanas…” She whispered, stroking up her thighs before she leaned forward and kissed her hip just above one of the straps until the kiss turned into a bite Sylvanas knew was meant to bruise. It almost distracted her from the sight of Jaina’s hand wrapping around the firm length of the toy that had come to rest against the side of her face. Almost. 

“Fuck, indeed…” Her words were a bit muddled as Jaina provided her with the strikingly arousing visual. 

As she pressed the younger woman down onto the bed Jaina moved back for her, already slightly out of breath as Sylvanas settled between her legs with only one knee pressed into the bed. That was all she needed, really. Jaina knew all too well just how strong those hips were and her mind was muddled with the thought as her lips were claimed - a claim she responded to with no reservation. 

Sylvanas sought out Jaina’s tongue with her own as she breathed sharply through her nostrils when her lover’s nails dug into her back and her hips flexed upwards - frustrated that Sylvanas had effectively trapped what she wanted between them. She tormented her a while longer - every so often rolling her hips in a way that would apply pressure to her clit, though it was so indirect it only served to further fluster the woman beneath her. 

“Please.” Jaina gasped out as she broke the kiss and tugged on Sylvanas’s hair so sharply it stung. 

“Please what?” Sylvanas asked against her parted lips, though she’d already lifted her hips and begun to tease Jaina with the tip of the length she held in her hand - wetting it thoroughly and nearly entering her a time or two, though she pulled back each time. 

“I want you. Please, Sylvanas.” Jaina slipped her hand from her lover’s hair and wrapped it around the front of her throat which only brought about a heated grin. 

“Where do you want me?” She coaxed, holding her upper body up on one arm - unbothered by the grip on her neck. 

“Inside me. Now. I can’t-” Jaina’s statement was broken by a sharp gasp as Sylvanas entered her and her hand fell from her as her legs lifted against her lover’s hips instinctively. Inch by satiating inch she felt herself filled with careful, practiced ease and when she was certain she couldn’t take any more she felt the weight of her lover’s body on top of her. Jaina was thankful it took her a moment to find a comfortable position. She wasn’t used to this, anymore. But god, it was good. 

“Open your eyes.” Sylvanas whispered as she slid one of her hands beneath Jaina’s shoulder and gripped it firmly - the other one tangling in her hair. As soon as she did she kissed the corner of her mouth - the muscles of her stomach flexing against Jaina’s as she started moving her hips slowly - not so much thrusting as rocking into her. “Are you okay?” She asked once she felt her movements got easier and Jaina began to relax into the bed. 

“Yes…Don't hold back.” She murmured, her head rolling slightly as she ran a hand down Sylvanas’s side - wanting to feel the strength in her body as it moved against her with an almost feline grace. 

There wasn’t much more room for words after that. Just the sound of Sylvanas’s hips making firm contact with the backs of her thighs and both of their struggling, frantic breaths in the otherwise quiet cabin. It was all Jaina could do to just hold on. Hold onto anything she could get her hands on. Shoulders - hair - anything. And every bit of skin she touched was left with a mark of some kind. From nails. From desperately clinging fingertips. And Sylvanas held her just as tightly - though her hands didn’t move. Jaina didn’t have much interest in getting away - but she couldn’t have even if she did. She needed this. She needed to feel like she had no control. 

Sylvanas didn’t even know, anymore, when Jaina’s hoarse screams against her ear had died down into low, guttural moans, but it made her tilt her head up and bite along the underside of her jaw towards her ear. “Are you gonna come for me?” She asked in a husky whisper, shifting slightly so that her strokes became longer and deeper as their skin began to stick together in the heat between them. 

And that simple question was her undoing. There had been something so possessive in her voice - almost dark. She nothing short of fell apart as her lover continued moving into her steadily until she was whimpering and pleading almost unintelligibly. 

“S...stop...stop, Sylvanas I can’t…” She gasped out - somehow managing to find the words as she tried to pull off of her. 

“Okay, okay, my love.” Sylvanas reached between them and unbuckled the harness from herself quickly, slowly sliding the toy out of her lover - knowing she must have been bruised by now and taking all the more care for it. She tossed it to the side of the bed and Jaina noticed she was shaking slightly as she laid back down against her. 

“Sylvanas…” She murmured worriedly, reaching up to gather some of her hair away from her damp, flushed face though she wasn’t able to do very much more. 

“Mm. That’s my name.” She responded with a worn-out, albeit amused smile. 

Jaina let out a breathy laugh despite how difficult she still found it to actually breathe and kissed the top of her lover’s head. “You’re incorrigible.” She teased lightly as her legs slowly relaxed and slid down to rest on the bed. 

“And suddenly you mind?” She asked as her heart finally began to slow to a somewhat acceptable rhythm. 

“I never mind.” She admitted in response, playing lightly with the older woman’s hair as she basked in the warm, blissful afterglow of her orgasm.

“We’re married.” She murmured after a while, glancing down at Sylvanas to find her half-asleep on her chest. 

“Mm. Very married.” The High Elf mumbled in reply. “Second thoughts?” 

Jaina barely had the energy for the quiet huff of a laugh that came from her. “Absolutely not.” She whispered in a more serious tone. “Not in a million years.”

She watched as a slow smile spread across her beloved’s face before it gradually faded as she nodded off again.

"Gods & Monsters"  
Lana Del Rey

In the land of gods and monsters I was an angel  
Living in the garden of evil  
Screwed up, scared, doing anything that I needed  
Shining like a fiery beacon

You got that medicine I need  
Fame, liquor, love. Give it to me slowly  
Put your hands on my waist. Do it softly  
Me and God: we don't get along. So now I sing

No one's gonna take my soul away  
I'm living like Jim Morrison  
Headed towards a fucked-up holiday  
Motel sprees sprees and I'm singing,  
'Fuck, yeah. Give it to me. This is heaven what I truly want.'  
It's innocence lost  
Innocence lost

In the land of gods and monsters I was an angel  
Looking to get fucked hard  
Like a groupie incognito posing as a real singer  
Life imitates art

You got that medicine I need  
Dope, shoot it up straight to the heart, please  
I don't really wanna know what's good for me  
God's dead. I said, 'Baby, that's alright with me.'

No one's gonna take my soul away  
I'm living like Jim Morrison  
Headed towards a fucked-up holiday  
Motel sprees sprees and I'm singing,  
'Fuck, yeah. Give it to me. This is heaven what I truly want.'  
It's innocence lost  
Innocence lost

When you talk it's like a movie and you're making me crazy  
'Cause life imitates art  
If I get a little prettier, can I be your baby?  
You tell me, "Life isn't that hard."

No one's gonna take my soul away  
I'm living like Jim Morrison  
Headed towards a fucked-up holiday  
Motel sprees sprees and I'm singing  
'Fuck, yeah. Give it to me. This is heaven what I truly want.'  
It's innocence lost  
Innocence lost


	25. A Thousand Years

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

Sylvanas’s eyes snapped open and she tried to draw in a breath only to find it nearly impossible as she stared up at the ceiling. Her fingertips curled against the blankets as she fought against the invisible weight pinning her to the bed. But nothing changed. Nothing helped. She was completely frozen. She could sense Jaina near her but she couldn’t reach her. Her lips parted - but only just, and she couldn’t force so much as a whisper from her throat that felt constricted from the inside. She was freezing. But she couldn’t see that the blankets had slipped from her body as they slept. Couldn’t feel the sea breeze ghosting over her skin nor see the open window near the bed. 

_Did you think you had escaped so easily?_

She jerked slightly in response to the voice and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye to land on the pillow her head was pressed into. 

_You will always belong to me, Banshee. You will always be what I made you. Nothing will change that. Mind...body...and soul._

“Sylvanas.” The voice in the farthest reaches of her mind was urgent. Familiar. “Sylvanas, goddamnit, wake up!” 

And suddenly she drew a sharp, deep breath of air into her lungs and sat bolt upright in bed and before she was even fully aware of what was happening she felt hands on her, hands that she pushed away almost violently. “No.” She gasped out, her eyes wild and all but gone. “Stop. Please. Stop talking. I can’t. I can’t.” 

Jaina winced in response to the strength with which her frightened lover pushed at her and grasped at her arms to keep her away. Even as she struggled Jaina tried her best to remain calm. But try as she might she couldn’t catch her fast enough before she backed off the edge of the bed and made solid contact with the floor below. 

The pain of her knee cracking against the floorboards made her double over as awareness came crashing down on her and a heart-wrenching sob tore from her throat. Jaina scrambled off the bed after her, her chest heaving as her hands hovered over her lover’s bare back when Sylvanas’s hands pressed tightly over her own ears, folding them in a way Jaina knew must have been painful for her. And then she watched as an all-too-familiar rage began to boil up within her - as she bared her teeth and slammed one of her fists into the floor as though the more pain she inflicted upon herself the more control she would gain. 

And as her heart raced in her chest Jaina climbed on top of her, pressing her forearm across her head to pin it against the floor and using the other hand to grip her lover’s wrist tightly as she reached up towards her in an attempt to stop her from holding her down  
“Sylvanas...please…you’re hurting yourself..” Her voice came out as nothing more than a pained whimper that stopped her beloved cold. The sharp breaths that were forced past her bared teeth and flared nostrils slowed and she looked up at Jaina from the corner of her eye. 

Instead of rage, there was a silent plea there and Sylvanas moved her hand towards her lover’s more slowly. Jaina looked down at bruised and bleeding knuckles and carefully lowered herself onto the floor behind her, pulling her back against herself and wrapping an arm around her to rest her hand against the center of her chest. She reached up to the bed and tugged one of their pillows down, tucking it beneath her lover’s head. 

“Breathe with me.” She murmured against the back of her ear, feeling her heart hammering against her hand as though she were a rabbit caught eyes of a falcon. “Breathe. In.” She applied gentle pressure to her chest as her own moved in kind against her back. “Out. That’s it. Again.” 

“Do you remember the time Kael’thas caught us in the mage quarters?” Jaina asked softly after countless minutes had passed and the almost constant shuddering of her lover’s body had begun to die down. She hadn’t expected a response beyond the slightly steadier breathing coming from Sylvanas. “The look on his face was priceless. And all you could do was smirk at him. I was so young, then.” 

“You blushed.” Sylvanas whispered and Jaina’s eyes fell shut as she pressed her face against the back of her lover’s head - breathing in her scent against her damp hair and nodding faintly. “I just thought...it was funny. That’s all.” Jaina ran a hand down her arm slowly, brushing over her swollen knuckles with her fingertips until the burning of the wounds was soothed by her gentle, icy touch. 

“It was just a dream, my darling.” Jaina whispered, only moving to sit up when she was sure her beloved was as okay as she could be right then. She guided the larger woman’s arm around her shoulders and helped her up, already knowing she’d hurt herself but still grimacing at the way she favored her leg as they made it back into bed. “Near the window. I’m not letting you fall again.” She whispered - fatigue edging its way into her voice. 

Sylvanas wanted to argue but she didn’t - curling on her side facing Jaina as the mage moved to lay in front of her. 

“I’m so sorry, Jaina.” She breathed, reaching for her apologetically and finding Jaina’s fingers twining with her own. 

“I was only worried for you. I know you wouldn’t hurt me. Trust me, I know.” She pulled the blankets over them both, making sure they were nestled more securely this time. “I can feel it, you know. When you’re...when you’re not okay.” Her thumb brushed the ring on her beloved’s finger gently and the arcane energy woven into the white gold of it brightened for a moment. “It was so strong this time. Is it because we’re going home tomorrow?”

Sylvanas looked down in response and then turned her face towards the pillow.

“Nothing bad is waiting for us. I promise you. I have never been so sure of anything. I’m going to keep you safe. Just as safe as you keep me.”

“From myself.” Sylvanas whispered, but Jaina reached to turn her face with a gentle but firm grasp on her chin. 

“From yourself? Sylvanas...you are the only person in my life who has never left me.” She breathed. “The only one. The only one who has loved me even when it wasn’t in your nature to do so...when it _hurt_ you to. You are the one great love of my life, darling. My _wife_. And the very last thing in the world I want to be protected from.” 

Sylvanas mulled over her words silently and Jaina finally took a closer look at her hand, still keeping her skin cool to reduce any possible swelling. “Is it broken?” She asked - trusting her lover’s judgment. She had much more experience with injuries than she did, after all. 

“No.It’s fine.” She responded in an almost defeated tone that made Jaina look up at her again. 

“What is it, my darling?” She asked as she ran the backs of her fingers along her cheek slowly.

“I just wish things would happen faster, that’s all. You deserve...you deserve to have what you had before you lost me.”

“And I get that person. A lot more than I could have ever expected to. But I also get the woman I’ve known for a majority of our life together. I’ve fallen for every _you_ you’ve ever been. And now I finally get to love all of you.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t have been a bard or something?” Sylvanas asked in a dry tone that did little to hide the slight tremor in her voice, though a small, tired smile turned the corners of her lips. 

“Have you ever been serious for longer than ten minutes in your entire life, Sylvanas Windrunner?” But there was nothing but love and fondness in her voice when she spoke.

The High Elf leaned in and kissed Jaina’s forehead, pulling her close with her fingers tangled lightly in her hair. “I’ll get back to you on that. You’re exhausted and so am I.” 

As they settled in against one another Sylvanas kneaded Jaina’s shoulder and then slid her hand to her back beneath the blankets - just barely trailing her fingertips along her skin until she began to doze off. “I love all of you, too. I always have.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things got easier as time passed. Day by day her lover slept more easily - needed her cane only rarely, though the falling temperatures of the approaching winter weren’t helping. And they continued working on it together.

It was a quiet evening. They’d eaten and Sylvanas was leaned against the wall by the fireplace with Jaina resting against her side absorbed in the book she was reading to the sound of crackling logs and her lover splitting feathers for fletching. They’d piled cushions in this area for just this reason. They spent most of their evenings together here before they went to bed. 

After a while, she sat her book to the side and turned her attention to what the other woman was doing. She was captivated by it - as she’d always been. Her hands worked so deftly at the meticulous task, sliding the carefully split quills into the small slots she’d carved into the arrow shaft and holding them there while the glue that had been applied earlier dried enough for her to move on. 

Jaina had never seen a beautiful arrow. She remembered vividly the first time she’d watched Sylvanas make her own - as she always had. It was like a work of art. Each fletching was perfectly matched against the next - each shaft straight and strong and selected by her lover’s long-trained, expert eye 

“You were reading.” Sylvanas mumbled as she brought the arrow closer to her eyes to check it over. “What are you doing, now?” 

Jaina was quiet for a moment but Sylvanas seemed unbothered - perfectly at peace with her work until Jaina finally spoke. 

“Falling in love- for what must be the millionth time. With the mother of our child.”

Sylvanas kept working as though what she’d said hadn’t been said at all. But Jaina noticed a slight tremor in her perpetually steady hands. “You fall in love with me all the time.” She whispered, rolling the shaft of the arrow in her fingertips and watching along the length of it for any possible warping. 

Jaina reached up and brushed the back of her hand down Sylvanas’s jawline. “Sylvanas, I’m pregnant.” She murmured quietly. 

Sylvanas smiled nervously and shook her head, pulling out one of the split feathers to re-do it, though it had looked as perfect as all the others had to Jaina. “How could you possibly be pregnant?” She asked - having to force amusement in her voice that she didn’t feel. She knew this wasn’t something Jaina would joke about. Knew she could never be cruel enough to do such a thing. 

“Zendarin agreed to it. Liadrin made sure we could do it without any sort of...undesirable contact. She’s pretty good at what she does...considering it only took the one time.” 

Sylvanas nodded faintly, leaning forward slightly as she tried and failed to replace the quill she’d pulled. “How far along?” She asked - not even aware of the fact that her voice broke halfway through the question. 

“Eleven weeks. I’ll be showing soon...I wanted to wait until I was certain nothing would happen. And...now seemed as good a time as any to tell you.” 

Sylvanas nodded again, though it was only a slight gesture, and Jaina lifted her head as she began to rock back and forth a bit where she sat. And then she stood with the arrow still in her hand and Jaina sat up quickly, worry furrowing her brow as her lover walked across the room with her head hung slightly. Even as far away as she was she could hear as her breath began to hitch in her throat. 

Before Jaina could so much as stand the arrow clattered to the floor just before Sylvanas’s legs seemed to drop from beneath her and she was on her knees. She moved to her quickly and knelt at her side - watching as she covered her face with her now violently shaking hands and bent over herself. Jaina didn’t know what to do. She’d never heard her cry like this before. Never seen her sides heave in such a way with each breath she dragged in past the sobs already leaving her. 

All she could do was reach out to touch her shoulder. “I should...I should have…” Had she made a mistake?

But as though in answer to her fears the instant Sylvanas felt her touch she reached for her, dragging herself up towards her and pulling her against her strongly. She held Jaina’s face against her shoulder and the mage could feel the power of the joy coursing through her so violently her body didn’t seem to know how to process it. As she began shedding her own tears in response to the relief she felt Sylvanas pulled back and held her face firmly in her hands, kissing everywhere she could find. Her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. It was overwhelming. Sylvanas was loving with her - tender - but this…

“Jaina...gods...Jaina…” All she could think. All she could feel. Jaina. And before long she was holding her again, one of her still unsteady hands coming to rest against her stomach as the mage moved to straddle her lap and rested her own hand on top of her lover’s, the other one coming up to rub the back of her neck. 

This moment...this was the happiest moment of her life. The realization washed over her calmly instead of violently. Healed places in her she had no idea were still broken. And to know that the same was true for Sylvanas as she shook with sobs hidden against the crook of her neck...oh, she’d long ago given up hope that the world could still hold this much kindness for her within it. 

Time blurred as they sat there huddled together on the floor and she was in such a daze she barely noticed Sylvanas moving against her, lifting her against her chest and then standing, albeit carefully. She took the moment to reach up and wipe at her beloved’s tear-stained face until they reached their little nest of cushions and the older woman laid her down. 

She rested there patiently as Sylvanas came to sit beside her, looking up at her almost in wonder before she lowered her gaze and Jaina smiled, reaching up to cradle her cheek. She watched the way one of her ears shifted slightly and she propped herself up a bit, lifting the front of her shirt. 

Sylvanas reached out and traced her fingertips along the places that had been faintly toned before that weren’t any longer and then slid down so that she was laying halfway down Jaina’s body against her side. She leaned over and kissed the center of her stomach above her navel, resting her forehead there for a moment before she turned her head to lay her cheek down. 

Jaina watched the different emotions flicker through her wife’s eyes - love, concern, concentration. And then her lips parted slightly and her eyes widened - the blue-grey glow of them even more beautiful to Jaina in the dying firelight. 

And when she felt a shuddering breath ghost across her own skin and watch those eyes slip shut she knew Sylvanas had found what she’d been looking for. 

“Take as long as you need.” She whispered, in awe as she watched more peace than either of them had ever known fall upon Sylvanas. 

“I...I can hear…”

“I know you can, my darling.” Jaina responded gently, reaching up to stroke through her hair while Sylvanas’s arms wrapped around her waist - holding her as close as possible without shifting her head. Not so much as an inch. 

“Oh, by the light…” Jaina murmured she wiped at her own eyes and shook her head. She laid her hand against one of the arms holding onto her and leaned back the short distance to the pillows behind her. “You’re going to be so goddamn good, Sylvanas.”

"A Thousand Years"  
Christina Perri - (Cover: Boyce Avenue)

Heart beats fast  
Colours and promises  
How to be brave?  
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?  
But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt  
Suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid  
I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more

Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath  
Every hour has come to this

One step closer

I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid  
I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you  
Time has brought your heart to me  
I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more

One step closer  
One step closer

 


	26. Lady - An Interlude

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/43824606050/in/dateposted-public/)  


Sylvanas crinkled her nose as she turned her head back towards Jaina and shook the snow out of her hair and the happy, amused grin on her face turned for just a moment into something wicked. “Really, Proudmoore?” She asked, her confidence still slightly shaken from the solid thump of the offending snowball exploding against the side of her head.

Jaina snorted and ran towards another tree for cover as Sylvanas bent down to pick up a fist full of snow in retaliation. But when she stood back up she paused at the sight of a good five or six hovering in front of the tree and Jaina’s youthful face peeking at her from behind it. “That’s cheating!” Sylvanas called out and received a fit of laughter in response before she found herself pummelled - the heavy, fur-lined cloak she wore along with the deep brown leathers thoroughly covered with snow that quickly began to melt. 

She dropped her own rather inadequate ball of would-be vengeance and looked wilted suddenly - her ears drooping as she looked down at her clothing. 

The giggling from behind the treeline faded as the smile on Jaina’s face fell when Sylvanas turned away and began walking back where they’d come from. She jogged through the thick carpet of snow to catch up - thankful it was the dry, powdery kind that was easy to navigate. “Sylvanas!” There was a hint of genuine guilt in her voice when she called out and the smirk on her older lover’s face was hidden from her entirely as the High Elf continued to walk away from her. 

She was panting quietly when she finally caught up. The Ranger took one stride for every two of her own and even when she was walking she could be infuriatingly fast when she wanted to be. “Hey...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-” She reached out to touch the Ranger-General’s shoulder and before she could even comprehend what was happening to her found herself swept off her feet and dumped in a nearby snowbank.

Sylvanas was pleased with the look of shock on her face as she leaned over the body-sized hole to find the young mage and feigned a slight pout. “You know I hate getting wet.” She reached a hand towards her to help her back up and found Jaina’s arm wrapped around her neck when she managed to stand again. 

“Never thought I’d hear you say that.” She quipped easily in returned - seemingly unbothered by the light layer of snow currently covering the back half of her body. 

“Bold.” Sylvanas murmured as one of her brows rose and she wrapped an arm around Jaina’s lower back, leaning down to kiss her gently. “We came out here to hunt, you know.” She murmured against the young mage’s lips when she felt her try to deepen the kiss. 

“Mm...I seem to recall something about hunting, yes.” But she didn’t pull back. She’d slipped her hand into the hood of Sylvanas’s cloak to give the long hair hidden there a gentle tug. 

“Oh, to be young again…” Sylvanas teased as she reached up to guide Jaina’s hand away from her. But it truly was only teasing. She was just as guilty of having near-constant difficulties keeping her hands to herself and they both knew it. “You rough me up to your heart’s content when we get back. But I do need to provide us with some sort of nourishment if you’re going to be at all effective.” 

Jaina looked taken-aback as she pulled away and rested her fingertips on her own chest. “At all effective?” She asked as Sylvanas turned back towards the nearby forest and drew an arrow from her quiver. But she wasn’t able to keep her quiet laughter hidden for long as Jaina once again sped to catch up to her. “Very effective. Always.” She murmured soothingly. 

But the levity of the moment faded and Jaina watched as something changed in her - as her eyes seemed to focus more sharply and her ears turned just so as they were like to do when she was focused on something. It made Jaina go still instantly. Sometimes she wondered if all elves were like this. So elegant and regal yet just one step from being wild, untamed things. Truly, she looked no different from a crouching lynx as she lifted her bow to nock her arrow with fluid ease and lowered her head towards the hand currently pulling back her bowstring. 

Without moving her head Jaina looked in the direction Sylvanas was focused on but she couldn’t see anything at all. Just trees and snow and-

She jumped when two things happened at once far too quickly for her to process. A fattened winter bird had begun to take flight and before it even left the forest floor Sylvanas’s arrow found it - ending its life cleanly and without suffering. But so far away Jaina couldn’t even fathom how the shot had been possible - let alone so precise. She glanced down as Sylvanas held her bow out and took it from her as she started walking towards her kill. She was shocked at how heavy it was as she followed and couldn’t even imagine the strength it took to draw it so steadily. 

“You’re...really attractive, you know.” She finally said as the High Elf leaned down to pick up the bird and slip it into the large leather pouch on her hip beneath the cloak. 

“Am I, now?” She asked with a smirk as she retrieved her bow from the mage’s hands and hooked it at her back. “I hadn’t noticed.” 

“That’s a lie. I’m hurt.” 

The mischievous little smile still hadn’t left Sylvanas’s lips as she leaned down to kiss the mage’s cold-reddened cheek. “I am unendingly glad you think so, Jaina.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina glanced over as Sylvanas shivered near the fire as she began removing her damp clothing and couldn't help but find it...cute. “The Ranger-General of Silvermoon...vanquished by a vacation to Winterspring.” She quipped as she pulled her robe on and made her way over to her. She waved her hand in the direction of the fire and the logs only starting to catch suddenly blazed powerfully.

“That's...not fair…you have this stuff all the time where you're from.” She breathed, her teeth chattering faintly. 

Jaina shook her head and started helping her - her own steady hands much more effective at the task. “Mm...you're lucky you're an ice sculpture right now or I'd have you by the fire.” She mumbled as she wrapped her arms around her lover tightly and stroked along her back. 

Sylvanas nearly choked. The longer they were together the bolder Jaina got - but that was a new one. In what seemed like an effort to take the edge from her teasing Jaina leaned up and kissed her jaw in a way that caused goosebumps to rise along the elven woman's arms. “I'll cook.” She murmured against it. “You put on some warm clothes.”

“A good plan.” Sylvanas responded as she made her way across the room to their bags. “We both know I'm much better at eating.” 

Jaina stared down at the cleaned bird for a moment, then, as a flush rose in her cheeks. Had Sylvanas ever not gotten the last laugh? She couldn’t think of a single time. It was both infuriating and endearing. 

Sylvanas looked around their sparsely decorated home away from home for the next few days as she tied the sash of her own robe and made her way back over to where Jaina was busy with their dinner, adding a few things they’d brought with them to the iron roasting pan already nestled in the coals she’d dragged to the side of the hearth. She moved to sit behind when she seemed satisfied enough to put the lid on and let her legs slide out on either side of her as her hands slipped gradually around her slender waist. 

“Quiet, suddenly…” Jaina observed, turning her head enough that she could see her lover as she reached for her hand and held it in her own, running her thumb across the familiar calluses along her palm and the insides of her fingers. 

“Sometimes I just like to look at you. Listen to you. When you’re doing simple things like that. So that I can remember them when I’m out there without you. I’ve never had anything like that before. It’s been so long since I’ve had something to come home to, Jaina. I know...I know it hasn’t been long that we’ve been together. Perhaps for you it feels that way. But I’ve never loved like this. You’ll have to forgive my taking it all in now and again.” 

Jaina turned in Sylvanas’s lap and leaned back against her lover’s leg as it was bent at the knee to support her back. Sylvanas had always been tender with her when they were alone. She was good at that. At physical things. She expressed her love in the most deeply exquisite ways every time they slept together. And at being strong. Gods, she was the strongest woman Jaina had ever known. And as good as she, herself, could be with words sometimes...she was speechless. 

“How am I supposed to follow that?” She asked quietly as she reached up and tentatively ran her fingertips down her ear until her hand rested along the side of her face. Sylvanas smiled and turned her head to kiss the palm of her hand. “You could try kissing me. That’s always a good place to start.” 

As many times as they’d kissed nothing could have prepared her for how slow and gentle this was. The feeling of Sylvanas’s lips just barely parting against her own - the tip of her tongue grazing hers every so often and fingertips resting along the underside of her chin before they slid down along her throat and around to the back of her neck. Even as she felt heat rising in her cheeks it seemed Sylvanas was content with just this. 

“I should…” Jaina lowered her head slightly as she opened her eyes in a daze. “Check on, um...”

“Go ahead. I’m right here.” 

But her hands lingered on her young lover for a moment until she slipped too far away to be touched.

When Jaina finished tending to their meal after what felt like, to her, an eternity and moved to face Sylvanas again she wasn’t sure whether or not she would make it. She looked like something out of an erotic book and the way she was laying on her side looking at her with her head propped in her hand...gods, it was like she’d put herself on display. Every delicate curve...every hard edge of muscle accentuated by the deepness of the shadows the firelight produced. 

She couldn’t much help the way her eyes trailed further down for a moment - past where her arm was so casually resting across her stomach to the small, well-kept patch of blonde hair above velvety, delicate folds of pink skin that she hadn’t yet had the chance to taste - spread ever so slightly because of the way she had her leg folded upwards and her foot against the robe unfurled beneath her nude figure. 

They’d only made love once or twice since that first time in Dalaran. And it was always rushed - one of them always had something or other to attend to. And she’d never seen Sylvanas quite so exposed like this. Like some sort of goddess laying before her. 

“This is what an invitation looks like, my darling.” Sylvanas murmured in amusement, her eyes half-lidded as she watched Jaina’s eyes - all too aware of where they’d settled. 

Blue eyes darted up to her own dimly glowing ones and back down as she saw movement. She watched as Sylvanas’s long, slender fingers moved down her own body and parted sex enough that Jaina could see she was just as wet as she was. And that was all it took.

Sylvanas had no qualms over letting herself go with Jaina. She’d been patient with her and she’d alway seemed to just innately know how to please her. But she often found herself wanting to feel those soft lips against her. It had been worth the wait. 

She found herself on her back, her chest arched slightly in the air as Jaina’s tongue explored her for the first time. She would never understand how the mage seemed to know her body so well so effortlessly. And when she finally made her way to her clit Sylvanas’s hand flew up to tangle in her hair. “Right there, Jaina.” She gasped out, lifting herself onto an elbow and looking down at her - at her deeply flushed face - at the glistening tongue she could just barely see flicking against her now and then. “Oh, gods...Jaina...that’s it. Don’t stop.” 

Had she been more self-aware she might have been surprised at just how little guidance she had to give her - just a slight tug at her hair here, a lift of her hips there. 

Jaina was in heaven. The sounds Sylvanas was making...the way she effectively began riding her face as she drew closer to her orgasm. That feeling, in particular, drew a rather loud moan from her that caused Sylvanas to pull her hair firmly enough that she had no choice but to lift her head. “Did you like that, Jaina?” 

Jaina knew she’d been close...why had she-

“Lay down.” 

She didn’t feel now was the time for questions and she did as she’d been asked - if you could call it an ask. She didn’t much care at this point as Sylvanas moved over her easily and she found strong thighs on either side of her head - one of her hands still on the back of it. 

She reached up to run a hand over the curve of her thigh, digging her nails into it as she felt wetness hit her chin warmly and slip down her jaw. “Please.” She breathed, a hunger in her tone and in her eyes that left Sylvanas with no doubt as to whether or not she enjoyed doing this. 

The images burned into Jaina’s mind as the Ranger-General lowered herself down and rolled her hips slowly until she found her desired position against her mouth were some of the most vivid things she’d ever experienced. Sylvanas made sure of that. She was careful. Careful not to move against her too hard - to leave her without breath for too long. But Jaina didn’t give a damn. Especially not when she felt her thighs begin to quiver against her face. When she suddenly leaned forward over her and held the back of her head once more, cradling it against herself as Jaina nursed her clit rhythmically through an orgasm unlike any other until she couldn’t take it anymore and pulled her hips away before laying down with her on the robe that covered the floor. “Oh, gods, you beautiful thing, you.” She gasped out as she pressed her thigh between Jaina’s legs beneath her robe if only to get that much closer to her. 

“Me?” Jaina asked breathlessly, still stunned from seeing Sylvanas come so utterly unhinged because of her. 

“Obviously.” Sylvanas murmured looking at the mage’s face as her vision finally began to come back into focus. She lifted a brow and chuckled softly. “You’re a mess, actually. But still absolutely beautiful.”

“Lady”  
Styx

Lady, when you're with me I'm smiling  
Give me all your love  
Your hands build me up when I'm sinking  
Touch me and my troubles all fade  
Lady, from the moment I saw you  
Standing all alone  
You gave all my love that I needed  
So shy, like a child who has grown

You're my lady of the morning  
Love shines in your eyes  
Sparkling, clear, and lovely  
You're my lady

Lady, turn me on when I'm lonely  
Show me all your charms  
Evenings when you lay down beside me  
Take me gently into your arms

Your my lady of the morning  
Love shines in your eyes  
Sparkling, clear, and lovely  
You're my lady

Lady of the morning  
Love shines in your eyes  
Sparkling, clear, and lovely  
You're my... lady


	27. Halo

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

“You’ve always taken my breath away, Dalah’surfal. Without even trying.” Sylvanas murmured against Jaina’s ear as the mage leaned back against her on the window seat they were stretched out along in together their loft bedroom of Windrunner Spire. Jaina smiled softly as she felt warm lips against her cheek and set her book to the side. “But this...the way your skin glows just so...I could bathe in you like the lynx bathe in the morning sun. I would be the fields of grain to your rays. Forever indebted to your grace and your beauty.”

“Sylvanas…” Jaina murmured as she felt her wife’s hand come to rest over the swell of her belly over the loose robes she was wearing. She laughed quietly and covered it with her own, guiding it to the place their unborn child suddenly seemed intent upon kicking. “Perhaps he finds your voice as beautiful as I do.” She tilted her head and kissed the corner of Sylvanas’s mouth before resting her head back against her shoulder. 

She was tired more often than not as of late. But Sylvanas cared for her. Oh, did she care for her. Every moment of every day. She’d gotten better at cooking. At cleaning. She’d even managed to wash their clothes a time or two without ruining them on some level. Jaina hadn’t lifted a finger in almost a month, now. She spent most of her time reading or being read to in the warm comfort of Sylvanas’s arms. She loved every minute of it. They couldn’t have known they would work so well together...but it was like something from a fairytale. Rarely did she even have to ask for anything. Sylvanas just...knew. 

“Mm, perhaps. It’s best he learn young how to speak to a lady.”

Jaina couldn’t help the rather loud laugh that left her at that, her eyes opening so she could look up at her lover. “Having him speak to a lady like that will see us grandparents far too soon. Keep that silver tongue in your mouth or on me and nowhere near our son’s learning until we are decrepit.” 

Sylvanas looked both mildly proud of herself and chagrined and she wrapped her free arm gently around the younger woman just beneath her chest where she knew it would be comfortable for her. “Have you thought of a name?” She asked as she shifted slightly to allow her to lay back more fully. “We are running short on time, you know.”

“Approximately a month is plenty of time for me to think of a name.” She admonished - knowing it was driving Sylvanas slightly mad to not know. As though the name would make it all the more real. Truth be told, she’d known as soon as Liadrin told them what they were having. “Warren.” She watched as the simple word brought with it more impact than she expected as Sylvanas turned her head slightly to look out the window. Her lips were parted for the breath she still hadn’t managed to take and she nodded as she blinked back tears. 

“Warren.” Sylvanas repeated quietly, tightening her arm around Jaina ever so slightly and glancing down at her as she felt her hand on her cheek, guiding her head gently. She leaned down to return the kiss so clearly offered to her but just as their lips met she felt Jaina tense against her and watched as her head jerked so she could see the center of the room. 

Sylvanas sensed the disturbance soon after and slipped from behind Jaina quickly, grabbing the bow that had been resting against the window ledge along with an arrow from her nearby quiver. By the time the mage stepped through the portal that appeared, he could do little else but raise his hands in entreaty. “Lady Windrunner...forgive me, I-”

“You are lucky, mage.” She muttered as she noticed the colors of the Kirin Tor on his robes. “I would suggest aiming for the receiving room downstairs if you come seeking my wife again in the future.”

Jaina slowly sat up and reached out to her, resting a hand on her tense forearm and pulling it down gently as she stood beside her. Sylvanas responded immediately, lowering her arms and releasing the tension from her bow as she turned her head towards her in deference. 

“She is right, you know. You should ask your mentor to brief you on ways to prevent political crisis caused by amateur portal-work.” 

But she relented. She recognized the genuine fear on his face and she knew how imposing her lover could be. Perhaps moreso dressed the way she was - barefoot with calf-length breeches and a partially unlaced linen shirt. No uniform or regalia or responsibility to the kingdom weighing on her decisions. And with a pregnant wife to protect, no less.

“Well...a lesson learned. Anyway, an explanation would be appreciated.” 

“Of course, ma’am...I mean...Lady Jaina...I…” 

Jaina sighed and reached for Sylvanas’s bow, kissing her cheek as she slipped it from her hand and set it to the side. “You’re scaring the children, my darling.” She murmured to her - though there was plenty of mirth and mischief in her eyes. 

The young apprentice sighed in relief and finally lowered his hands. “Of course. Antonidas sent me to fetch you...both of you. He wishes to discuss...he wishes to discuss Arthas Menethil.” 

The easy expression Jaina wore slipped from her face almost immediately as she turned her full attention to him and Sylvanas rested a hand against her lower back to draw her closer. Her eyes - while never having left him - were sharper now, even, than when she’d had an arrow aimed at his chest. 

“I don’t know anything more. I’m sorry. But you must go to him as soon as you are able.” 

“Tell him we will be there before nightfall.” Jaina responded simply, lifting a hand to open a portal for him to avoid any further faux-pas with an ease that left his spine tingling as he walked through it to report to the leader of the Kirin Tor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean, Antonidas?” Jaina asked - her voice shaking with barely-suppressed anger. Sylvanas rested a hand on her shoulder and stroked over it gently even as the other clenched in a fist at her side.

“Jaina...there is nothing we can do. We can’t _force_ him to allow himself to be healed. That goes against everything we stand for.”

Jaina lowered her head and gripped her staff more tightly in her hand. “How did this happen?” She asked when she finally managed to look back up at her mentor. 

“As you know...it was imperative we sever his ties to Frostmourne in time for his trial. That he could be tried as the man that he was. We didn’t know how much of his essence was dependent upon the blade. Even now, he withers into nothingness. This is all the closure that I have to offer. And if it could have waited...it would have.”

Jaina swallowed thickly and looked away before using her staff to pull herself to her feet. “With all your rules...all your codes...how do you find it acceptable to allow me to see him?”

Antonidas sighed and ran a hand through his already disheveled-looking grey hair. “Because. He’s been asking for you for two days.”

Jaina felt Sylvanas go rigid next to her - could hear the leather of one of her gloves creaking within her fist. But when her lover spoke her voice was steady and reserved. 

“You are aware I won’t allow this to occur outside of my presence, are you not, Archmage?” 

He glanced down at his desk and nodded faintly. “I was obliged to inform him that his request would undoubtedly come with certain...caveats, Lady Windrunner.” 

“Good. Let us go, then. I would prefer to have her home before too long. I’m sure you understand.” 

“Of course.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaina didn’t know how Sylvanas was keeping her composure so well as they drew ever nearer to their destination. Apparently, he was bad off enough that he’d been removed from the Violet Hold and placed in medical care despite his refusal to receive any. But each step was steady - the hint of a limp in her leg forced from her stride for the time being - and her head held high and even. But inside...inside she could sense the maelstrom of emotion tormenting her lover.

And then, suddenly, they were faced with two guards at a barred door. 

“Allow them entry.” Antonidas ordered - watching carefully as they obeyed immediately and stepped inside to keep watch. 

Sylvanas was disgusted by the sight they were met with. A shriveled husk of a man laying on his side on a cot behind a barred wall - dirty, matted white hair clinging to his face and neck. But quickly, disgust shifted to rage as he lifted his head and his eyes landed on Jaina. And the bastard said her name. 

She rushed forward more quickly than the guards could have ever moved, slamming the door of the medical cell as she bared her teeth. “That name is not yours to speak, Menethil.” She hissed as her eyes burned into his. 

Jaina held up a hand as one of the guards started to go after her, shooting a look of warning in his direction before she moved up behind her beloved and rested a hand along her side. 

She let out a noise almost akin to a growl before she released the bars and took a half-step back. “Coward. A coward lies before me. This...this is what took-”

“Perhaps he has something of interest to say, my love.” Jaina said quietly - though the tone of her voice drew Sylvanas back from the edge she was treading. An edge that Jaina knew would always be there - and one she would always be prepared to keep her from leaping off of. 

Jaina slowly lowered her hand from where it rested and moved towards where Arthas lay only a few feet away. He looked confused by the exchange. And all the more lost when his eyes fell upon her stomach. 

Antonidas - sensing Jaina had the situation well enough under control, gestured for the guards to back away into the hallway before he turned, himself. He still thought Jaina a talented young mage. An asset to the Kirin Tor, certainly. But if he had any idea what she was capable of he might not have walked away. Luckily enough - Jaina was content with words. 

She leaned towards the bars and rested one hand on them as Sylvanas shifted behind her - agitated but otherwise quiet despite her heart hammering in her chest - her hands itching to wrap around his throat. To feel the snap of his spine in her palms. And then Jaina began to speak. 

“You’ve been asking for me. Why?” She waited for an answer only to be met with nothing but silence. “Was this not what you were expecting? Surely you’ve met my wife. It was her home that you went for after your own. Her people that showed you what true power is. True courage.” 

Arthas tried to sit up but found himself back on his side - too weak, even, for such a small amount of effort. 

“And her child that I carry.” Her voice was a whisper...but there was venom in it. “Did you expect forgiveness, Arthas? Do you know how long it took me to undo what you did?” 

Sylvanas noted the flicker of energy that brightened Jaina’s eyes and glanced towards the door quickly to make sure they were still alone. 

“I...that...that is all...I ask…” 

Jaina stood upright again slowly, looking down at him for a moment before she stepped back and reached for Sylvanas, stroking along the side of her neck for a moment before her hand stilled. “Allow me to show you what you’ll be getting instead.” She murmured as her eyes fell shut. 

Sylvanas winced visibly as Jaina delved into her memories but she stayed still for her, opening her eyes just enough to watch as the look on Arthas’s face contorted into one of pain and terror as they were projected into his own mind. She knew what he was seeing. She knew the torment of the Endless Dark. Would never forget the whispers that had touched every part of her. 

Jaina didn’t stop until Arthas had managed to weakly press his hands over his face and when she did she caught herself on her staff until Sylvanas wrapped her arms around her. “That’s enough, Jaina.” She whispered, kissing her brow as it glistened with sweat and watching as her fist came up to rest against her chest - clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. 

All Arthas seemed capable of now were barely audible whimpers. “He will suffer, my love.” She murmured, urging her towards the door. “I promise you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m sorry I did that to you.” Jaina’s voice was soft as Sylvanas ran the washcloth she was holding across her chest. The sleeves of her shirt were rolled up but she’d still managed to get them wet as she’d leaned over the tub to bathe her. They’d both been quiet since they’d made it home. And while Jaina didn’t regret what she’d done - she regretted doing it without Sylvanas’s consent.

“I am not.” She responded simply, using her hand to draw some of the warm water of the tub up along Jaina’s shoulders to rinse the suds away from them. “Just memories. That’s all they are.” She reached out and cradled Jaina’s head as she guided it back to dampen her hair, running the fingers of her free hand through the long, blonde strands to make sure she wet it thoroughly enough. 

“You can’t mean that.” Jaina whispered - doubt tinging her voice and causing it to quiver a bit. 

“Can’t I?” Sylvanas asked as she lifted her head back up and ran her thumb along her cheek. Jaina felt her eyes on her and opened her own to return the look. “This is what matters.” She whispered with a soft smile on her lips. And Jaina noticed a distinct lack of any sort of anger or pain in her eyes. She still wasn’t used to that. “You. Us.” She reached down and stroked over Jaina’s stomach. “This is all that matters to me, now. What lies ahead of us. He deserved what you gave him, make no mistake. And there is a part of me that is all too glad he had to experience it while he still lived. We both know the gravity of what he took from us. But look what we’ve built from it.” 

Jaina was silent for a moment after Sylvanas spoke. She felt comforted. Safe.

“Is this how I make you feel?” She asked - her voice barely audible. 

“Every time.” Sylvanas responded as she reached for the shampoo and began to lather her lover’s hair. “Every time for over twenty years.” 

Jaina nodded and brought a hand up to wipe her eyes but it was no use. And soon enough she found Sylvanas lifting her partway out of the water and into her arms without a care in the world for her now soaked clothing as she cried. Not out of sadness or pain...but because she’d never been so overwhelmingly grateful before. Grateful that this woman loved her. And that she could love her in return. And perhaps, occasionally, dampen her with tears and bathwater.

“Halo”  
Beyoncé

Remember those walls I built?  
Well, baby they're tumbling down  
And they didn't even put up a fight  
They didn't even make a sound  
I found a way to let you in  
But, I never really had a doubt  
Standing in the light of your halo  
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened  
Every rule I had you breakin'  
It's the risk that I'm taking  
I ain't never gonna shut you out!

Everywhere I'm looking now  
I'm surrounded by your embrace  
Baby, I can see your halo  
You know you're my saving grace  
You're everything I need and more  
It's written all over your face  
Baby, I can feel your halo  
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo, halo, halo  
I can see your halo, halo, halo  
I can feel your halo, halo, halo  
I can see your halo, halo...  
Halo, ooh ooh...

Hit me like a ray of sun  
Burning through my darkest night  
You're the only one that I want  
Think I'm addicted to your light  
I swore I'd never fall again  
But this don't even feel like falling  
Gravity can't forget to pull me back to the ground again

And it's like I've been awakened  
Every rule I had you breakin'  
It's the risk that I'm taking  
I'm never gonna shut you out!

 


	28. This Angel

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

Even as uncomfortable as she was she couldn’t help but laugh as she watched Sylvanas scramble through their bedroom with a still-empty bag in her hand after a solid ten minutes of carrying things back and forth from the bed to their dresser and wardrobe. “Are you going to put anything in it, my darling? Or is this some sort of coping mechanism for you? Empty luggage?”

Sylvanas stopped in her tracks and looked over at Jaina - at the way she was leaned back on the bench at the foot of the bed with a hand on her own lower back smirking at her. She glanced down at the bag, then, and released a shaky sigh before making her way to the bed. As she began packing a few changes of clothes for them both her hands shook so badly the task actually felt difficult, even as simple as it was. 

“Hey…” Jaina murmured as the contraction faded into something more manageable and she reached out to stroke along her lover’s arm. “Everything is going to be fine.” She gripped Sylvanas’s wrist and pulled her close only to let her go and wrap her arm around the back of her neck. Sylvanas swallowed thickly and returned the hug immediately, pressing her cheek against Jaina’s. 

“I just want to be good for him. So badly, Jaina.” She admitted quietly, finding the fingertips now rubbing the back of her neck soothing enough that her hands steadied somewhat. 

“You’re going to be perfect. I promise.” The mage responded before slowly pulling away as she heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. 

“Are you two about ready?” Vereesa asked as she poked her head into their bedchambers. “I only have a week or two of leave time, sister. Are you planning on spending it all on a couple of outfits, or can we go?” 

Sylvanas glared at her as she released Jaina and reached over to zip their bag before throwing it over her shoulder. “You’re the Ranger-General. You make the rules.”

“Yep. And that’s all the rule-bending I can afford for right now, so get a move on.” She patted the doorframe a few times for emphasis and then turned to half-jog back downstairs. “Portal’s waiting!” She shouted up before disappearing through it. 

Sylvanas smiled as soon as she was gone and Jaina leaned up to kiss her. She’d found that moment so beautiful for some reason she just couldn’t help herself. 

“I guess we should listen to her.” Sylvanas relented, helping Jaina stand and walking with an arm around her towards the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas had never experienced childbirth. Nor had she witnessed it. And as minutes ticked by and shifted into hours all she could do was keep holding her beloved in her arms each time she collapsed back - shuddering and gasping for breath each time. She was still young. Technically. And she’d certainly never had a child. And this was much more harrowing than Sylvanas had already thought it was going to be. But Liadrin’s voice comforted them both in the rare moments Jaina had to rest.

“You’re doing just fine. Take a moment.” The High Priestess murmured, watching as Sylvanas reached up to rest her hand across Jaina’s forehead as her head collapsed back against her shoulder - the hand that wasn’t currently clasped in a grip stronger than she’d ever felt. But she didn’t mind. The High Elf turned her head slightly towards Jaina and kissed her cheek. 

“I love you.” She breathed, pulling her damp hair away from her face and stroking through it. “More than anything.” 

Jaina nodded weakly in response, pressing her face closer to Sylvanas’s as she tried to catch her breath, too dazed to pay much attention to what Liadrin was saying or doing. She winched and arched her back slightly and buried her face in Sylvanas’s neck as she clenched her teeth and the older woman cradled the back of her head before shooting a look at Liadrin. “ _Do_ something.” She hissed, causing the priestess to raise a brow, though she didn’t respond. She didn’t exactly find it offputting that Sylvanas was worried about her wife hurting. 

After a moment or two, Liadrin patted Jaina’s knee and the mage turned her face slowly to look at her. “This is it, Jaina. Come on. A few more for me.” 

Sylvanas released Jaina’s head and allowed her to press back against her chest as she pushed again with what little strength she had left and she let out a cry of pain that caused Sylvanas’s ears to wilt pitifully as she fretted over her without actually touching her - not wanting to make anything harder than it already was. 

Liadrin dragged her instrument tray closer, suddenly. “One more. A big one, Jaina. Give it all you’ve got.” Liadrin’s voice was low and calm and it forced the mage to gather herself and obey. 

Sylvanas watched in stunned silence as their son was born. The world and everything in it that wasn’t the woman in her arms and the child Liadrin was turning in her hands disappeared entirely. She blinked as Liadrin suctioned his mouth clean and he began to cry. 

Even Jaina - as spent as she was - lifted her head from her beloved’s shoulder to look down in response to the sound and her eyes fell on their child as Liadrin moved from her knees towards them both - bending down to place him in Jaina’s shaking arms. 

Nothing else Liadrin did was even noticed as she cut the cord and tended to Jaina. “Sylvanas.” She whispered her beloved’s name - lifting her free hand to brush her fingertips through his pale, blonde shock of hair and over the gently pointed tips of his ears. 

“I see him.” She breathed in response, tears slipping down her cheeks as she pressed a firm kiss to Jaina’s temple when the young woman looked up at her in wonderment. “He’s beautiful.” She breathed as a faint smile finally graced her lips and she wrapped an arm around Jaina. After a moment she brought her hand up to meet with Jaina’s as it cradled the back of his head and he opened his eyes for just a moment to look up at the added touch - beginning to settle down against the warmth of his mother’s chest. 

“Oh, gods…” Sylvanas whispered - her voice breaking despite it being barely audible. He had her eyes. The deepest, most beautiful blue she’d ever seen...and she’d seen that same blue the first time she’d met Jaina. “Look what you did, Jaina.” She continued in the same gentle, shaky tone as she turned her head to kiss her beloved’s temple. 

“Let me clean him up, alright?” Liadrin urged - albeit quietly. She’d been standing to the side for a moment, partly to give them privacy...but mostly to make sure she didn’t look like she’d been crying, herself. “And then you can help me move her to the bed so he can be fed and the two of you can get some rest.” 

Reluctance wasn’t a strong enough word to describe what they both felt as Liadrin reached down for him and took him to lay him gently on a padded blanket on the bed. He began fussing as soon as he was away from them and Sylvanas started stroking through Jaina’s hair again when she saw how distressed she looked by sound. And as soon as the warm, damp cloth touched the baby’s skin the fussing turned into crying and Sylvanas winced at the feeling this drove into her - at the will it took to not respond to how badly she wanted to protect him from even the slightest discomfort. 

Jaina reached up and pulled Sylvanas’s head against her own once more. “Go get some clean sheets on the bed, my darling. By the time we get settled, she’ll be done, I’m certain.” 

Sylvanas nodded and slipped carefully from behind Jaina, supporting her back until she could replace her presence with cushions. She slipped to the other side of the room, though her ear stayed turned slightly in the direction of her wife and child as she dressed the bed so it would be clean for them - doing as good a job as she could manage considering how overwhelmed she felt. But having a duty - having something to do that Jaina needed done - it helped. 

“All done.” Liadrin announced quietly, lifting the still slightly agitated baby into her arms and nodding her head towards Jaina. “I would rather you move her. I don’t want to lose an arm if I jostle her too much and you decide to do something about it.” 

Sylvanas nodded - inwardly extremely thankful. She didn’t want anyone else touching Jaina right now. She’d never seen someone go through so much physically - and certainly not anyone she loved the way she loved her. As she made her way back to the birthing bed she slid her hands slowly beneath her lover - one behind her shoulders and one underneath her legs. She tried to ignore the blood stains on the sheets. But what she couldn’t ignore was the whimper of pain Jaina tried to muffle as she lifted her. “I’m sorry.” She whispered immediately, only to feel Jaina’s arms wrap around her neck firmly before her face fell against the soft material of her doe-skin jerkin. 

“It can’t be helped, my love. You’re doing just fine.” She whispered - and Sylvanas could hear the fatigue in her voice as plain as day. She carried her over towards the bed where Liadrin was waiting patiently with their slightly less patient son and moved to lay Jaina down, careful to do so as fluidly as possible, though she would have been hard-pressed to miss the way Jaina clung to her shirt against her back until she was finally resting fully on the bed.

She crawled over Jaina to lay on the other side of her - shifting her weight in such a way that the bed barely moved - and finally settled against her side. Once they were comfortable Liadrin placed him back in Jaina’s waiting arms, clean and diapered, and she smiled. “I’ll send someone later to clean up and bring you both something to eat. In a few hours when rest has been had. And in the morning I’ll check back in.” 

But neither of them were listening. It only made her smile shift into something warmer for a moment before she left their room quietly, shutting the door behind herself. 

Now that he was clean his hair was an even paler blonde. Less like Jaina’s and even lighter than Zendarin’s. It looked like hers. Pale hair had always run in the family...she just hadn’t expected…

“He has your ears.” Jaina murmured as she settled back into the pillows and slipped her gown down so he could nurse. 

“You don’t say.” Sylvanas responded with a chuckle that faded quickly as she was struck with awe by the moment. By the natural ease Jaina handled him with - by the fact that she was the mother of her child. Of their child. And that she was now a mother, too. 

She reached out and first caressed Jaina’s cheek before running a feather-light touch down the back of his head. “Hey, Warren.” She whispered, a soft noise leaving the back of her throat at the end of the name. Her son’s name. Gods... _her son’s name_. “You have your mother’s eyes.” 

Jaina turned her tired gaze to Sylvanas, watching how earnest her expression was. Her long, elegant brows furrowed and her lips turned up in a smile that seemed unwilling to leave her. And tears glistening in her softly glowing eyes. She reached up and rested her hand on her lover’s chest, stroking over it with her thumb and shaking her head. “You don’t have the faintest idea how beautiful you are right now, do you?” She asked - her tone slightly raspy and worn. But content. 

“I used to think myself beautiful.” She responded, finally managing to peel her eyes from their son to look at Jaina. She was a disaster. Her hair was still wet with sweat and her braid had come partially undone. Her face was still streaked with tears of both pain and happiness. But she was stunning. Overwhelmingly perfect. “Until I saw you with him. And then I realized no one and nothing could ever hope to compare to that.” 

Jaina wiped a tear that had slid down along her beloved’s cheek while she spoke. “My Vain Elf…” She murmured, though her eyelids were drooping slightly. “You have….every right to think yourself…” 

“Rest.” Sylvanas breathed, leaning over to kiss her forehead. Jaina managed to look down as Sylvanas’s hands took over for hers and she marveled at how small Warren looked in them compared to her own. But that was her last, muddled thought as she drifted off. 

Sylvanas drew Warren against her own chest - cradling him against the gentle warmth of the leather she wore. She watched as he nuzzled at her and made a few quiet sounds before going still aside from the way his tiny back rose and fell against her hand with his breaths. “Long day, hm?” She whispered, brushing the backs of her fingers along the round softness of the cheek he’d left facing her. And suddenly, as though everything hit her at once, she drew her hand to cover her mouth as a sob almost left her but she leveled it out into a series of long, trembling breaths only to feel Jaina’s hand come to rest on her thigh - though she hadn’t even fully woken to do so and remained quiet as she settled into a deeper sleep. 

Her voice was so quiet when next she spoke neither him nor her resting wife heard it. “I’ve waited for you for so long.”

"This Angel"  
Jennifer Nettles

Who is this angel, sent here to change me,  
sent here to take me where I've never been?  
Long I have wandered, weary and waiting,  
For something to shake me and life to begin. 

Holy water from my own veins,  
come and save me where I lay.  
All this longing for beauty unnamed.  
It has broken me open to welcome the hope that you bring.

Can you hear me calling, come let me hold you.  
Naked and falling into my arms  
with every breath in my body, the sweetest surrender  
is losing myself in all that you are.

Holy water from my own veins,  
come and save me where I lay.  
All this longing for beauty unnamed.  
It has broken me open to welcome the hope that you bring.

Holy water from my own veins,  
come and save me where I lay.  
All this longing for beauty unnamed.  
It has broken me open to welcome the hope,  
it has broken me open to welcome the hope,  
it has broken me open to welcome the hope that you bring.


	29. Make You Better

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

“Is he sleeping?” Jaina asked as she set her book to the side and looked up at her lover as she crawled into bed next to her. It seemed like any time Warren didn’t need to be fed Sylvanas refused to let her do anything. There was scarcely a time when their son wasn’t in her lover’s arms being cooed at or sung to. Even on their few journeys into the forest in his young life Jaina tended to walk arm-in-arm with Sylvanas while their son rested against her lover’s opposite shoulder - taking in everything there was to see with wide, eager blue eyes for the short length of time he could raise his head enough to see. Otherwise, he seemed content just to listen to his parents talking and the leaves rustling beneath their feet as Sylvanas held him against her. He’d even begun to try and reach for her ears a time or two, only to find them flicked away which always brought about a giggle that caused Jaina to smirk. They were really in for it when he got stronger.

“Safe and sound.” She responded quietly, pressing a kiss to Jaina’s cheek and moving her wife’s book from the bed to the end table. They were almost always tired, now at the end of the day. But neither of them minded, really. Their life was so full of caring for Warren - of visits from Vereesa who seemed unable to keep herself away. And, of course, his grandparents. Katherine and Daelin had become a regular sight in Windrunner Village. 

Jaina smiled in response and watched as Sylvanas lifted their blankets to slide in behind her in her usual spot. She’d taken to sleeping with Jaina pulled back into her chest every night. No matter how many times either of them had to get up. 

“Lay the other way tonight, for me?” Jaina asked quietly as she waved a hand to extinguish the mage-light that had been dimly illuminating the room - just enough for her to read by. 

Sylvanas looked confused for a moment but relented, rolling onto her other side only to feel Jaina press up against the back of her body and wrap an arm around her stomach just above her hips. They’d slept like this so rarely...but Sylvanas found she liked it. Even needed it, right now. 

“I couldn’t have asked for a better mate in life.” Jaina murmured before kissing behind her ear. Sylvanas’s stomach tensed as she felt Jaina’s fingertips run across her skin beneath the shirt she was drawing up with her thumb to expose the toned muscles of her hips and lower abdomen. The younger woman wasn’t at all surprised she was so sensitive. They hadn’t managed more than a few stolen moments here or there in three months and even then the most they had been comprised of was quick, hungry kissing or someone managing to get slightly unclothed before they were interrupted. 

“Nor could I.” Sylvanas responded, reaching for Jaina’s hand out of instinct to stop her as she went for the waistband of her pants until she felt lips against the back of her ear followed quickly by teeth and a low moan escaped her, unbidden. 

“Do you remember Winterspring?” Jaina husked against her ear, propping herself up on her free arm as Sylvanas parted her legs for her instinctively once she pressed her hand further down. “Do you remember when you fucked my face until you came and then knelt over me - dripping down my chin while you gathered your wits?” 

Sylvanas gasped as Jaina found her clit with her fingertips and began stroking it - finding she was already thoroughly soaked even this soon. All she could do was nod as she gripped Jaina’s wrist - her other hand grasping at a fistful of bed sheets as her hips started rocking against her lover’s deft fingers in a way that made her body roll sensually despite her being on her side. 

Jaina summoned her mage-light back, then. Watching the way her lover moved for her - the way she’d always moved for her. So sensually it should have been criminal...but it wasn’t. And it was only for her. “Let go of me, Sylvanas.” She murmured as her grip tightened even more - hampering her movements. “And lift your shirt for me. Let me see you.” 

The High Elf pulled her hand away and Jaina couldn’t help but appreciate the way it trembled as she obeyed, exposing the muscles currently flexing in her side and then her full breasts. Just as Jaina leaned down to claim one of them with her mouth and Sylvanas began turning onto her back they both jumped at a cry from the adjacent room. 

Sylvanas sat up so quickly her shoulder hit the side of Jaina’s face in a jarring manner and she reached for her, apologizing breathlessly as she swallowed against the dryness of her mouth. “I’ll...I’ll get him.” She offered - though her words were muddled and slightly raspy. Jaina slumped forward against the bed as Sylvanas pulled away. “Okay.” Jaina murmured, slowly pushing herself to sit up in bed as she watched Sylvanas fix her shirt and pull her pants back up before she left and made her way towards Warren’s bedroom. 

Jaina slid from the bed - uncomfortably wet and frustrated, and brightened the mage-light that followed her as she walked around the room, straightening up here and there before she paused near the wall she knew Sylvanas was near - undoubtedly holding their child in the beautiful rocking chair her parents had gifted them. But the song she was singing...Jaina hadn’t ever heard it before. 

And she listened to the gentle, flowery native tongue of her lover - the mournful yet soothing sound of it. The way it quieted their son almost immediately. She realized, suddenly, that in all the times she’d sung to him she hadn’t sung in words. Only gentle, flowing tones. As though she knew the melody but had forgotten the lyrics. 

But this time...this time there were words. Words their son was far too young to even begin to comprehend...but not Jaina. She pressed her forehead against the wall and lifted her hand to rest next to it.

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
By the light,  
By the light of the sun  
Children of the blood  
Our enemies are breaking through  
Children of the blood  
By the light  
Failing children of the blood  
They are breaking through  
O' children of the blood  
By the light of the sun  
Failing children of the blood  
They are breaking through  
O' children of the blood  
By the light of the sun  
The sun  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sylvanas smiled softly at the peace on her son’s sleeping face as she leaned over the side of his crib to stroke through his down-soft hair for a moment before finally forcing herself to leave the room. She shut the door quietly and made her way back towards where she assumed Jaina was sleeping - her footfall making no noise as she entered the dark room and made her way towards the bed. But her eyes adjusted quickly enough that she paused when she noticed Jaina wasn’t in it.

“Do you think I can’t handle your pain, Sylvanas?” The voice was silky and low instead of wounded and she turned her head slightly - her eyes falling on the nude upper body of her lover very nearly touching her own. She hadn’t even heard her approach. 

“I’m not-” As she began to speak and turn to face her she felt a vice-like grip on her upper arm before Jaina guided her towards the dresser opposite where they stood. 

“Have you forgotten who I am? Forgotten how long you’ve been able to find comfort in me?” As she bent Sylvanas over the dresser far enough that she could be seen over her shoulder she found the soft greyish glow of her lover’s eyes in the mirror and watched as a shuddering breath left her when her hips met her lover’s from behind and the unnatural, stiff length of the toy she wore pressed against her through her sleeping pants.

“Don’t hide from me.” She murmured as she leaned down to press a kiss against her shoulder through the loose-fitting shirt she wore that hung from the firmness of her back and arms as she rested the front of her body on the flat surface beneath her and the flush rising in her cheeks colored them so deeply they were easily visible even in the moonlight filtering in through the window. “Let go. For just a while. Let me give you what you give me.” 

Sylvanas dug her nails into the wood beneath her fingertips as Jaina hooked her thumb in the waistband of her pants. And then she rested her forehead on the dresser and slid her hands higher to grip the edge of it - relenting all too willingly to the offer presented to her. 

“Are you still wet?” Jaina asked against her back as she drew her shirt up and her pants down at the same time until her lips were met with warm, silky skin - occasionally finding an errant scar as they trailed across her broad shoulders and paying it special attention. 

“Yes.” Sylvanas breathed, turning her head and looking at her lover over her shoulder as she felt her start to enter her. She winced at first. Despite how ready she truly was it had been ages...but her body relaxed into the pain as Jaina sank into her and grasped her shoulder, forcing her up slowly so she had no choice but to either close her eyes or watch them in the mirror. She chose the latter. How could she possibly look away as Jaina gripped her possessively and pushed forward until she felt the mage’s strong hips against hers? She trembled as her body slowly adjusted. Every part of her. 

“Don’t hold back, my darling.” Jaina breathed against her back as she started moving her hips and she heard her choke back a moan. “I haven’t heard you properly in years...let go. Just let go for me.” And as if to drive the point home she began moving with more power and she got her wish soon enough. She could almost feel the semi-facade melting away from her lover as she wrapped her arm beneath her to support her. 

Jaina’s expression was more intense than Sylvanas had seen it in a long time and it burned into her own in the mirror as her knuckles went white with the strength of her hold on the edge of the dresser. She never once attempted to pull away. In fact she spread her legs further - making it easier on the smaller woman - and it seemed that was all she needed. All they both needed. 

Jaina hadn’t heard Sylvanas this way in over twenty years. Crying out for her - gasping her name between shallow, frantic breaths. For once - she wasn’t scared. The fear of deafening her lover was gone - lost in the feeling of Jaina taking everything she had and giving it all back forcefully. All she could do was trust and accept. She had no choice but to let go. No choice at all. Jaina had taken that from her quite handily...and she had needed her to. 

When Jaina felt Sylvanas’s legs grow weak she pulled her hips up to her own firmly, holding her up and slamming a hand down on the dresser for support as she leaned over her - reaching to cover one of Sylvanas’s with it tightly. “Mm-mm. You gotta hang in there for me, my love.” Her voice was trembling audibly with her efforts and Sylvanas could feel the dampness of her chest against her back now. 

Every time she began to tense - every single time she almost came - Jaina stilled against her and rolled her hips so she barely moved inside her, pulling her back from the edge and then driving her towards it again until every exhale was a whimper. And it was such a sweet sound to Jaina - however desperate it was. 

But eventually out of a mixture of exhaustion and sympathy Jaina slipped her hand between her lover’s legs, though she didn’t touch her where she needed it quite yet. “You are everything to me.” Jaina breathed as she panted against her beloved’s shoulder - going completely still. “A caring, attentive wife and mother...an exquisite lover. And here...with me...you are safe to be whatever you need to be. I promised you that. I meant it. Now I want you to come.” 

As overwhelmed as she was both physically and emotionally - when Jaina began rubbing slow circles around her clit while she was still buried deep within her instead of being maddening the small amount of stimulation was just what she needed. And gods, did she come. She bucked up against the woman holding her and only felt her tighten her arm around her so that when she collapsed she didn’t hit the dresser. No, instead Jaina lifted her up to lean back against her, wrapping both arms around her as she drooped in them. Jaina looked at their reflection over Sylvanas’s shoulder as her lover turned her head towards her and then, slowly, her whole body - shifting slightly to slip free from her in order to be fully against her. 

“Let’s go to bed.” Jaina whispered against her temple as she helped her over to it with the last reserves of her energy, falling into it with her and undoing the harness she still wore before she helped Sylvanas under the covers with her. 

The High Elf continued to shake every now and then as Jaina held her and each time she kissed her - over her eyes, her lips, her cheeks - anywhere she could reach. “No matter what you are out there...I only want exactly who you are at any given time, no matter what that means when it’s just the two of us.”

Sylvanas lifted a hand to Jaina’s cheek and held it, silencing her with a rather weak yet emotional kiss until she had to rest her head back against the pillows. 

Jaina looked down at her as a small smile graced her flushed face and she began to fix Sylvanas’s long, currently disheveled hair. “Do you think I’m scared of what’s inside you?” She asked quietly, recognizing she’d struck a cord by the look in her beloved’s eyes. 

“My darling I spent over half my life dancing with that darkness. It hasn’t scared me for many, many years. Show it to me. Whenever you need to. I’ll take it every time.”

"Make You Better"  
The Decemberists

I want you, thin fingers  
I wanted you, thin fingernails  
And when you bend backwards  
I wanted you, I needed you  
Oh-oh, to make me better

I'll love you in springtime  
I lost you when summer came  
And when you pulled backwards  
I wanted to, I needed to  
Oh-oh, to make me better  
Oh-oh, to make me better

But we're not so starry-eyed anymore  
Like the perfect paramour you were in your letters  
And won't it all just come around to make you  
Let it all unbreak you to the day you met her  
But it'd make you better  
It'd make you better

I sung you your twinges  
I suffered you your tattletales  
And when you broke sideways  
I wanted you, I needed you  
Oh-oh, to make me better  
Oh-oh, to make me better

But we're not so starry-eyed anymore  
Like the perfect paramour you were in your letters  
And won't it all just come around and make you  
Let it all unbreak you to the day that you met her  
And it'd make you better  
Did it make you better?

And all I wanted was a sliver to call mine  
And all I wanted was a shimmer in your shine  
To make me bright

Cause we're not so starry-eyed anymore  
Like the perfect paramour you were in your letters  
And won't it all just come around and make you  
Let it all unbreak you to the day you met her  
But it'd make you better  
It'd make you better

 

_Song suggestion courtesy of[Redisaid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redisaid/pseuds/Redisaid).  
Check out them fics, they good y’all. _


	30. For The Rest Of Our Life

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161614435@N03/44085411590/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/)

Sylvanas smiled warmly as she pressed up behind Jaina and wrapped her arms around her waist. She looked out at the empty courtyard in front of their spire and pressed a kiss to the shoulder Jaina’s sweater hung off of. It was fall again and the air was getting cool. But it was pleasant out and she found the breeze through their front door refreshing.

Jaina leaned back into her beloved’s arms and reached up to toy with her ear gently, brushing her knuckles across the golden leaf dangling from the one nearest to her hand. “Maybe the children can go to the Keep this weekend, hm?” She offered as she slowly turned to face Sylvanas and leaned up to press a gentle kiss to her lips. 

“Mm...I’ve outgrown the stage where I would be opposed to missing the little hellions for a couple of days. As long as it means I get to see you walk around our rooms unclothed. It’ll be a rare treat until the next one comes along.” 

Jaina sighed and shook her head, leaning it against Sylvanas’s shoulder and stroking along her hips as she kept her as close as she could manage. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Things had changed over the years. She’d resumed her duties with the Kirin Tor for the most part - though she wasn’t as active as she’d been in their old life. She spent a great deal of time with her family. Even now she could hear Warren calling for his little sister in the forests at the edge of their little private estate and her excited, mischievous giggling in response. “Who would have guessed I would bless us with something even wilder than Warren…” She murmured into Jaina’s hair as she stroked along her back. 

“Who would have guessed?” Jaina scoffed as she pulled back and looked up at her indignantly. “Everyone who has ever known you for even a day would have guessed that.” 

Sylvanas made quite the show of pouting at her wife before pulling away from her, though she twined their fingers together when she did. “My ears still twinge when I think of your son’s teething phase.” She admonished - though she didn’t sound displeased. They were fond memories. All of them were. 

“ _My_ son, Sylvanas Windrunner?” Jaina asked as she shot her a look and tightened her grip on the older woman’s hand. 

Sylvanas chuckled and her smile lit up her face in a way that still made Jaina’s heart skip a beat in her chest. “Only when he’s bad. Or when he’s chasing my darling angel up trees.” 

Jaina stopped in her tracks and lifted her free hand to her chest, trying to look shocked though the act fell apart altogether and she very nearly doubled over with laughter. “Your darling angel!” She howled, lifting a hand to prevent the tears that had formed in her eyes from falling. “Who knows she’s too fast for him to catch and refuses to stop tormenting him so?” 

“Mm. And she’s only six years old. Wait until her legs start growing. I gave Alleria hell when we were kids and she was tasked with watching me.” 

Their mood sombered, then, but only slightly. And they walked slowly around the edge of the woods in one another’s quiet, affirming company - Jaina occasionally bumping her shoulder against Sylvanas’s arm. 

“We’ll find a way to get her back, my darling.” Jaina murmured after a while. 

Sylvanas released her hand and instead wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. “Jaina...I’m happy. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life...than I ever could have hoped to be. Perhaps we can’t fix everything that went wrong...but so much more has gone right this time. And I owe it all to you.” 

Jaina lifted her eyes towards Sylvanas when she finished speaking and leaned over to kiss her shoulder before she reached up to pull her into her arms with a grip on the back of her neck. “It’s been a pleasure, Sylvanas.” She murmured against the side of her neck before she moved back enough to look at her. 

Even as plainly as she was dressed she would have still been the envy of any Royal Court...shoeless with her feet pressing into the golden leaves that carpeted the ground. “I don’t know how you manage.” She murmured as she took in the simplicity of the lines of her soft leather breeches and flowing white shirt that hung open, unlaced at her chest. 

“Manage what?” She asked as she reached up to retrieve a leaf that had gotten caught in Jaina’s hair. It was down, today. Sylvanas had always loved that. 

“Looking the way you do...after all these years. In farmgirl clothing, no less.” 

Sylvanas’s expression softened and she rested their foreheads together. “I manage. Just not as well as you do.”

She turned her attention to a flash of red clothing darting back through the trees. “Rialyn!” She shouted as Jaina looked in the direction Sylvanas did - though she hadn’t seen anything. She wondered how people with human mates ever managed to raise children to adulthood. The damned things were so fast. 

“You and your brother head for the beach! Stay where I can hear you!” When she got no answer her ears shifted slightly in mild agitation and just as soon as she began to make her way towards where they had hidden themselves they both cried out in unison. “Yes, mom!” 

“It’s been a while since we watched the sunset over the water.” Her voice was calm and low again as she turned her attention back to Jaina and began leading them towards the back of the spires towards the quiet sound of waves that had been their constant backdrop for ten years now. 

Jaina thought it might have been a coincidence that Sylvanas was leading them down the same path along the water she had so long ago when they’d first returned home...when they’d first begun to make this their real home. But that thought fled rather quickly as her eyes fell upon a ring of mage lights that surrounded a blanket in the sand - bouncing gently and casting a soft golden glow over the wine bottle and glasses in the center of it. And she would recognize this spot for the rest of her days. 

“How did you manage…” 

Sylvanas brought a fingertip to her lips as she turned to face her, slowly moving her hand to cradle her cheek as she stroked along it with her thumb. “The past ten years have been worth every hardship. Every second of pain. Of loneliness. Each and every day you’ve replaced a moment of my darkness with your light just by greeting the morning with me...whether it be with my arms around you or yours around me. Give me another ten years, Jaina. And another ten after that. Give me a hundred, hundred years by your side...and I know there will never come a day where I will stop craving the warmth of your heart and how fully you have given it to me.”

Jaina couldn’t manage much more than just looking into Sylvanas’s eyes for a while. She was grateful when her lover bent to kiss her because even as distracting as her lips could be it still allowed her to gather her thoughts by the time they parted. 

“The rest of my life, Sylvanas.” She breathed, pressing her face against her chest and grasping her sides tightly. “Has always been yours.” 

The High Elf kissed the top of her head and stood with her in the sand until it seemed she was at least somewhat ready to let go. “Let’s have some wine, hm?” She asked as she lifted Jaina’s chin with her fingertips. 

“After that...yes. A glass of wine would be lovely.” 

Sylvanas wrinkled her nose playfully and once they’d made their way onto the blanket she began uncorking the bottle as she stretched her legs out comfortably and Jaina stroked along her ankle. There was so much familiar ease about them, now. Everything was second nature. It was a place neither of them had been sure Sylvanas would get to for a long time...but she’d surprised them both. 

But her attention was drawn from her task as she heard something odd behind her. One thing their children had never been was quiet. And she heard whispering. She set the bottle down and moved to get up and turn - prepared to find them having gotten into something they shouldn’t have.  
What she saw just barely registered as she fell backwards onto the blanket and knocked the bucket along with its contents over onto it. 

“Mom! Mama! Look!”

Jaina moved to Sylvanas quickly, half worried that she’d fainted as she helped her sit back up. And she shot a glare towards the apologetic looking woman Warren was currently half-dragging in their direction - both of them tailed closely by Rialyn. 

Warren looked back at the High Elf he was currently quite proud of having found in the trees and turned his grin towards his parents - not paying any mind to the slight look of panic on his human mother’s face. 

“Sylvanas...I’ve been...I’ve been trying for years. With the Kirin Tor...and just the other day…” She wrapped an arm around her wife’s chest as she saw it heaving with each breath she took. 

“Alleria?” The High Elf’s voice was barely audible - broken with emotion. 

Warren stopped dragging her, then, and looked at her more closely before letting go of her hand. 

Alleria looked positively mortified. Not only had she been found by _children_ , Jaina had specifically requested she not show up until nightfall. She held her hands up in entreaty and the grin on her face was enough to bring Sylvanas back to reality. At least enough to comprehend what was going on. Jaina kissed the back of her shoulder, then, and stroked the small of her back soothingly before helping her stand. “Happy anniversary.” She murmured before urging her forward. 

Warren and Rialyn shuffled towards Jaina through the sand and she held them close as she watched Sylvanas stumble towards her sister and fall into her arms. “Let’s head home, little ones.” She murmured, ruffling Warren’s hair and kissing Rialyn’s forehead. 

“Is that...Aunty Alleria?” Warren asked in a curious whisper. “She looks like Mama…” 

Jaina smiled and lifted both of them on either hip. They grabbed onto her easily - their natural balance had always made her job a lot less difficult. “It is. We’ll talk more at home.” 

She could hear Sylvanas sobbing behind her. But the sheer, unbridled joy contained within the sounds eased her need to be near her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. And I know Jaina meant to talk to you first. Had I known you had elven children I’d have stayed much further away.” Alleria breathed through her tears as she tugged her younger sister against her and Sylvanas simply shook her head. “Don’t be. Please, don’t be. I’m so glad you’re here.” 

“You have a lot of explaining to do.” Alleria whispered when it finally seemed they had both cried themselves out and they’d begun to wander towards the spires that had once been so familiar to both of them instead of just Sylvanas. 

“Well, big sister...when one woman loves another woman very much-”

“Don’t start. I’ve had a long few years.” 

Sylvanas looked over at her as the irony of that statement hit her. “You can tell me all about it once we get the kids to bed, then. In the meantime - there’s still food on the stove and what wine isn’t currently soaking into my blanket is in the cupboard above it. And perhaps tomorrow you can meet my family in a less jarring manner.”

“I’d like that, Sylvanas. A lot.” 

“So would I.”

 

"The Rest Of Our Life"  
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Sitting with you in a dark room  
Warmed by a fireplace  
You know there's just something about you  
You brighten my day  
I got something to run past you  
I just hope I say it right  
So I take your hand and ask you  
Have you made plans for the rest of your life?

There's one thing I should be killing off and giving up now  
And that's worryin' about life  
Oh, I'll be fine  
If one gray hair shows, I'll be fine  
If my waistline grows, I'll be fine  
Even if time takes its toll  
We'll stay young for the rest of our lives

I've been making plans for children  
Since I've been looking in your eyes  
I even have names picked out for them  
Daughter'd be Rose  
Son; it'd be Ryan

There's one thing I should be killing off and giving up now  
And that's worrying about life  
Oh, I'll be fine  
If one gray hair shows, I'll be fine  
If my waistline grows, I'll be fine  
Even if time takes its toll  
We'll stay young for the rest of our lives

I don't really care about those storm clouds brewing  
Oh, as long as you're here by my side  
Oh, we'll be young, oh we'll be young  
Oh, we'll be young, when we're old

Oh, I'll be fine  
If my gray hair shows, I'll be fine  
If my waistline grows, I'll be fine  
Even when time takes its toll  
I'll stay young for the rest of my life  
With you, I'll stay young for the rest of my life  
With you  
We'll stay young for the rest of our life

  


<http://chibikochibs.tumblr.com/post/180648056263/did-this-to-thank-uninspired-poet-for-writing>

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has read this fic and for the wonderful support of the group of people I've met along the way.  
> This has meant the world to me.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to whoever reads this. Hopefully you enjoyed it. Look for another chapter soon and feel free to leave me some comments.


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